The police oversight body will investigate a woman’s allegations about Pendleton Police Station and regarding her treatment by officers in custody, namely her claim that she was instructed to undress before to a search.
Dannika Stewart was apprehended by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) on 10 October 2022 and subsequently searched at Pendleton Police Station.
She submitted 60 grievances on her treatment, prompting the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to initiate an independent investigation into six of these complaints, including those pertaining to the search.
A statement from GMP indicated that the force has discontinued the practice of strip searches for welfare reasons concerning women and girls and has ‘apologised unreservedly’ to Ms Stewart.
Ms. Dannika Stewart informed the Baird Inquiry, which investigated the treatment of women and girls in custody by GMP, that she was instructed to disrobe completely and was not provided a blanket for modesty.
She was “visibly upset by the degradation she felt”, the report said.
The inquiry heard Ms Dannika Stewart had reported a man she suspected of grooming and was later arrested on suspicion of blackmail and malicious communications.
She was on bail for a year despite there being no evidence, the report said.
Ms Stewart requested a review into the way her complaints had been handled, and the IOPC sought to find out if they had been “properly addressed”.
The assessment found 44 of the 60 had received a “reasonable and proportionate outcome”, while Ms Stewart’s review of 16 complaints had been upheld.
Eight complaints were referred to the Reflective Practice Review Process, which addresses police conduct and underperformance.
David Ford, director of the IOPC, said: “We appreciate this has been a challenging time for Ms Stewart, involving numerous investigations and subsequent reviews.
“Given the serious nature of the complaints, it was necessary for us to take time to scrutinise the events.”
The independent inquiry, carried out by Dame Vera Baird KC, published its findings in July 2024.
A spokesperson for GMP said: “We have apologised unreservedly to Ms Dannika Stewart for the matters where the service we provided her was not acceptable, and for the distress caused by her experiences with the police. [AS IF THAT IS OK? WTF??????]
“In implementing all the recommendations of Dame Vera Baird’s report in the past year, we have significantly improved provisions for those in our custody.
“For women and girls we have ended the use of strip search for welfare purposes and ensured all female detainees are assigned a dedicated welfare officer.”
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