EASTENDERS is to tackle the scandal of the Metropolitan Police strip searching children in a hard-hitting new storyline.
There was widespread outrage in 2022 when it emerged the police had strip-searched a 14 year-old black girl in school.
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Scotland Yard was forced to apologise to the girl, known as Child Q, after a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review.
The review found that racial bias had likely contributed to Child Q’s ordeal.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan branded the case “shocking and deeply disturbing”, adding “no child should ever have to face a situation like this”.
Detective Superintendent Dan Rutland of the Met’s Central East Command apologised in 2022 saying: “We recognise that the findings of the safeguarding review reflect this incident should never have happened.
“It is truly regrettable and on behalf of the Met Police I would like to apologise to the child concerned, her family and the wider community.”
Now EastEnders are set to tackle the issue with Avani Nandra-Hart becoming victim to a similar incident next week.
The 15 year-old will be found by police while skiving from school with Lily Slater, Amy Mitchell and vape-seller Marvin who tries to sell them drugs.
Marvin runs, leaving behind his drugs at Avani’s feet and all three of them are taken to the station.
While Jack and Jean arrive to collect Amy and Lily, neither Ravi or Priya answer their phones to collect Avani.
She will be left horrified when the officers explain they need to strip search her as they believe she could have more drugs concealed.
At the police station, a terrified Avani is strip-searched by two female officers and refuses the offer of an appropriate adult in the room.
Later, Suki arrives, having been tipped off by Jean, and is horrified to hear what’s happened, but Avani won’t allow her to lodge a complaint.
Back at No.41, Priya questions Avani on her whereabouts and an argument breaks out between the pair as Avani suggests that Priya is a bad mother.
It’s not long before Priya discovers that Avani was detained and strip searched, and Priya storms over to No.27 to rage to Jack about Avani’s ordeal at the hands of officers at his police station.
Lily and Amy are horrified to discover what has happened, but humiliated Avani lashes out at Suki and Amy and flees. Once alone at home, Avani breaks down.
Soap’s most harrowing teen storylines
We take a look at other harrowing teen soap storylines from soaps Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks.
Belle Dingle’s schizophrenia in Emmerdale – Belle’s (Eden Taylor-Draper) traumatic journey in Emmerdale took a dark turn when, after accidentally killing her best friend Gemma at just 16, her mental health began to spiral.
The storyline, which saw Belle struggling with her grief and guilt, showcased her battle with hearing Gemma’s voice inside her head, leading to a dramatic decline in her well-being.
Hannah Ashworth’s anorexia in Hollyoaks – Viewers were horrified as they watched Hannah (Emma Rigby), a seemingly innocent teen, spiral into dangerous behavior, starving herself in an attempt to achieve what she thought was the ideal body.
As Hannah’s condition worsened, the storyline became more intense, culminating in her being hospitalised for two months as she fought for her life.
Bethany Platt’s grooming ordeal in Coronation Street – Vulnerable schoolgirl, played by Lucy Fallon, was at the centre of one of Corrie’s darkest storylines to date when she fell under the spell of her older boyfriend and sexual predator.
The controversial scenes saw Nathan groom and manipulate the 16-year-old before coercing her into sleeping with his friends, with one of them raping her.
Whitney Dean’s abuse from Tony in EastEnders – Since the age of 12, she had been in a twisted relationship with her stepmum Bianca’s boyfriend, Tony King. The predator had groomed young Whit (Shona McGarty), making her believe she was in love and planning to run away with him.
On her 16th birthday, the traumatised teen finally revealed the years of abuse to Bianca. Tony was swiftly sent to prison sentenced for 13 years.
Later in the week a struggling Avani flees home and is found passed out in the playground.
After that Ravi learns the truth about what happened to his daughter and is left devastated.
