The National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls condemns in the strongest possible terms the comments made by NSW Minister for Police, Yasmin Catley, in her recent interview with Peter FitzSimons in the Sun Herald.
When asked whether she supports police strip-searching teenagers, Minister Catley replied:
“Yes, I do. It’s a mechanism that the police use that saves lives at the end of the day, and I think that that is really important that they have the capacity to be able to do that.”
‘Strip searching children is state-sanctioned sexual violence. There is no credible evidence that strip searching saves lives or enhances community safety,’ said Debbie Kilroy. In fact, repeated inquiries and reports—including by the NSW Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC)—have exposed the harmful, traumatising, and degrading impacts of this practice on children and young people,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
The Minister’s statements are not only factually incorrect but morally indefensible. The routine strip searching of children by police disproportionately targets Aboriginal children, children in state care, and those already subjected to state control and surveillance. These are the same children who are already among the most marginalised in our communities.
‘To describe strip searching as “a mechanism that saves lives” is to ignore the profound psychological harm inflicted on children forced to remove their clothes under the threat or presence of authority. This is not safety. This is a violation,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘As adults, our responsibility is to care for children—to support them through any hardship, not tear them down or strip them bare. If we cannot offer children protection without violating their dignity, then we must ask ourselves: what are we doing, and who have we become?’ said Tabitha Lean.
We remind the Minister:
- Strip searching is not a neutral act. It is a coercive, intrusive, and humiliating practice with long-lasting consequences.
- It does not work. Evidence shows strip searches rarely uncover contraband and are more often about asserting control than ensuring safety.
- It is a breach of children’s rights. International human rights standards are clear: children must be treated with dignity and respect—not suspicion and force.
The National Network call for:
- An immediate ban on strip searching children and young people by NSW Police;
- A public apology from Minister Catley for these harmful and inaccurate comments; and
- A full and independent review into the use of strip searches on children and young people in New South Wales.
‘It is unacceptable for any Minister—let alone the Minister for Police—to defend a practice that violates the bodily autonomy and human rights of children,’ said Tabitha Lean. ‘Children do not need to be stripped and searched. They need to be supported, protected, and respected,’ said Tabitha Lean.
For further comment, please contact Debbie Kilroy on 0419 762 474 or Tabitha Lean on 0499 780 226.
