Queensland police deny boy, who has an intellectual impairment, was naked in watch house

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Disability advocates are outraged at reports an intellectually impaired Indigenous boy was held naked inside a police watch house in Brisbane for days.

The ABC has obtained documents it says reveal the boy was pinned down and stripped by officers in the watch house in March.

According to the report, the boy had only a blanket to cover himself after he refused to wear a “suicide smock” – a dress-like garment.

Police said on Tuesday that their own inquires indicated the boy was not naked, but that he chose to wear the garment as a “sarong” for a period of time.

“We’re absolutely outraged that a child with a disability, a child with suicidal ideation, has been left naked in a cell for three days,” People With Disability Australia’s Frances Quan Farrant told the ABC. “This is abhorrent, and it’s a gross violation of this child.”

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The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, told reporters she was not comfortable with hearing the allegation.

“I’ve asked for an investigation into that,” she said. “My understanding is that there’s more to that story – so I might leave that for others to comment.”

The premier’s acting director general, Rachel Hunter, is investigating the boy’s case along with those of other children she has been looking into for months.

That inquiry will be ongoing as more cases arise but does not have terms of reference.

However, Queensland police say the boy was not naked. They say he was identified as a risk and provided with a suicide protection garment – as is standard QPS custodial practice.

“Inquiries indicate the juvenile was not naked and remained clothed throughout, but chose to wear the garment as a sarong for a period of time instead of in the traditional way,” the statement said.

Police have been asked if the boy had any other clothing on while he wearing the garment as a sarong.

The Queensland government has been under pressure over the holding of children as young as 10 in maximum security watch houses built for adults for weeks at a time because state youth detention facilities are full.

It has created a new department of youth justice to be led by former deputy police commissioner Bob Gee to address the issue.

The Department of Premier and Cabinet was looking into allegations raised by Queensland’s public guardian, Natalie Siegel-Brown, surrounding other cases involving children raised previously.

The government last week introduced laws requiring authorities to bring arrested and detained young people before the children’s court within 24 hours, or on the next available day.

• In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org