Police embroiled in fresh woke row over trans strip-search guidance

A trans row has erupted over police guidance allowing biological males identifying as women to request strip searches by female officers.

Women's rights charity Sex Matters has launched a High Court challenge against The National Police Chiefs' Council and British Transport Police, arguing the policy is discriminatory against female colleagues.

Official guidance allows transgender detainees to "express a preference" for being searched by an officer matching their lived gender, rather than their biological sex.

With court proceedings to begin on June 16, Sex Matters has appealed the loophole via preliminary court documents, insisting it forces female officers to conduct intimate searches of biological males.

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The NPCC guidance states: "Where an individual whose lived in gender is not the same as their biological sex expresses a preference to be searched by an officer of their lived gender, efforts will be made to ensure an appropriate officer is identified to conduct the search."

This policy was revised last year after the landmark Supreme Court ruling on biological sex, preventing male officers from carrying out strip searches of female detainees.

However, the NPCC - responsible for producing guidance across all police forces - failed to make any revisions to prevent male suspects identifying as women to request searches by female officers.

While the guidance explicitly permits female officers to decline conducting intimate searches of male detainees, Sex Matters argues this "opt-out" provision fails in practice.

The charity's legal submissions claim female officers fear career repercussions if they refuse strip-search duties thrust upon them, amounting to discrimination and harassment against them.

Court documents filed by the group include testimony from unnamed serving female police officers expressing their distress of dealing with the policy day-to-day.

Documents read: "They are concerned about predatory male detainees and requests being made for searches for reasons of sexual motivation and the exploitation of female officers."

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The charity has applied for the guidance to be overturned in full.

Despite the contest, the NPCC defended its position, stating the guidance "was developed after a thorough process in response to last year's Supreme Court ruling" and is "explicit that officers will face no career detriment for refusing to carry out a search".

A spokesman for the organisation said: "We will be outlining our position in court and look forward to the court's decision in the coming weeks."

The legal challenge comes amid broader scrutiny weighing on the NPCC, which was last week forced to review separate anti-racism guidance for officers following public outcry over the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak.

Meanwhile, Norfolk Constabulary is facing crippling accusations of putting "ideology over accuracy", after confirming it typically records the self-declared gender of people in custody rather than their biological sex.

Gender critical campaigners have criticised the practice, arguing it distorts crime figures and hampers efforts to protect women and girls.

The force acknowledged that custody records include fields for both birth sex and self-defined gender, but stated self-identification is used in the majority of cases.

Ermine Amies from the Women's Rights Network described the situation at the force as "scandalous."

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