Legalised sexual assault

Strip search
Produced by Simmering Video and Coalition Against Police Violence
Reviewed by Justine Kamprad

This video documentary discusses strip search as a form of sexual assault and humiliation. It provides an interesting, well-balanced commentary on strip searches, interviewing people from many different life experiences -- economic, racial, subcultural, sexuality -- with or without criminal history.

Strip search examines the Tasty Night Club, a gay club raided by police in 1994, where all patrons were subjected to strip search. Patrons claimed they were made to stand for hours naked in urine with no shoes on and their hands on their heads.

The documentary also includes an interview with Dona Macik, an outreach worker for the Prostitutes' Collective. Dona said her predecessor was strip searched a minimum of three times in a one-year period, despite stating clearly before each of the searches that she was an outreach worker and was carrying out her job.

The video then discusses strip search in prisons. Amanda George, a lawyer from the Essington Legal Service, outlines how women going to visits with their families or rape and sexual abuse counselling sessions are strip searched each and every time. This acts as yet another violation of their bodies, and the women often withdraw from any social interaction with their families or support groups.

George sums up the video's message "without the uniform, without the power of the state, [strip search] would be sexual assault. There is absolutely no doubt about that."

This article was posted on the Green Left Weekly Home Page.
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