Arabic version: عائلة تثير مخاوف بشأن تقييد فتاة في مستشفى بيرث

According to The Guardian, the family of a 16-year-old Indigenous girl say she was shackled to a Perth hospital bed after being taken into custody. A photograph shared by the family showed her ankles bound in chains and locked to the underside of the bed. Her grandmother said the teenager should have been treated “like a human being”.

The grandmother, who cannot be identified to protect her grandchild’s identity, alleged police used excessive force during an arrest over allegations of child neglect. She said the girl was dragged while topless and later had scratches on her breasts and stomach. The teenager, who gave birth several months ago, was taken to hospital for an undisclosed health issue while in the custody of justice department staff.

A Western Australian justice department spokesperson said the agency could not comment on the individual case. The spokesperson said restraints in unsecured medical facilities were used under department policies as part of standard custodial management practices. Medical practitioners can request that restraints be changed or removed when clinically necessary, the spokesperson said.

WA police said a review of body-worn camera footage found officers acted within policy during the arrest. Police said they attended the home after concerns were raised about the welfare of the girl’s child and found the child unharmed. They alleged the girl resisted arrest by attempting to push past officers and enter the residence. She was charged with breaching protective bail conditions, endangering a person’s life, health or safety, and failing to protect a child from harm.

Noongar community advocate Mervyn Eades described the use of shackles as an “abomination”, while advocacy group spokesperson Debbie Kilroy said the case showed a need for federal regulation of state practices. The report noted continuing scrutiny of restraints in hospital settings, including the shackling of incarcerated women during childbirth.