Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says it is “unacceptable” ministers weren’t informed for two weeks about an 11-year-old girl who was misidentified by police before being handcuffed and injected with antipsychotic drugs.
The girl was wrongly identified as a missing patient in her 20s when Waikato Police were called to the Fairfield Bridge in Hamilton about 6.40am on Sunday, March 9, after a person described as a female in her 20s was seen climbing onto the railings.
The Herald understands the girl is autistic and non-verbal.
Police were concerned she was suffering from a mental health episode and took her to Waikato Hospital’s Henry Bennett Centre for assessment where, upon arrival, she was handcuffed and understood to have been injected with two doses of haloperidol, an antipsychotic medicine.
About 6pm – approximately 12 hours after police responded to the bridge incident – a woman reported to police that her 11-year-old daughter was missing.
Health New Zealand, which had apologised for the “traumatic experience”, had launched an investigation into the incident, which was expected to conclude in five days. It was understood police were also conducting a separate review.
The young girl, who the Herald understands is autistic, was administered by injection two doses of antipsychotic medication at Henry Bennett Centre at Waikato Hospital. Photo / Michael Craig
Luxon today described the incident as “incredibly concerning”.
“As a parent, you identify with what is a horrific set of circumstances that has happened and it’s just incredibly distressing and concerning, massive amounts of empathy and concern for her and her family.”
Ministers were informed of the incident following a media query on Friday afternoon, two weeks after it occurred.
Luxon said the two-week delay was “unacceptable” and expected the review to uncover what had happened.
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey this morning said he was disappointed it took so long for him to be informed by Health NZ.
“I spoke to Dale Bramley, the acting chief executive, to say that was quite frankly not good enough, but the serious incident review is under way and I expect to keep updated on how that review is going.”
Doocey said he had been advised the girl was “well at home” and understood she wasn’t suffering from any side effects from the injections.
“It’s every parent’s worst nightmare and that’s why I’ve sought assurance of the welfare of the 11-year-old, I’ve been given that assurance that she is doing well.”
More to come
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
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