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NZ girl, 11, drugged and put on psychiatric ward in identity mix-up

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

SYDNEY, Australia - An 11-year-old girl was restrained, injected with anti-psychotic drugs, and placed on a mental health ward after New Zealand police mistook her for a missing woman, a report found Wednesday.Health officials and police have scrambled to explain the mix-up, which has appalled political leaders and stoked outrage across the country.The girl -- who displayed &quot;limited verbal ability&quot; -- was crossing a bridge in northern Hamilton city when a passing police car mistakenly identified her as a missing 20-year-old female hospital patient, the review said.Police drove the girl to hospital, where she was admitted to an &quot;intensive psychiatric care unit&quot; despite one nurse suggesting she &quot;resembled a child&quot;.&quot;Patient A lives with a disability that means she was not able to tell people about herself,&quot; said a review by the ministry of health, referring to the girl.After refusing to take drugs offered by staff, the girl was restrained and injected with anti-psychotic medication that is &quot;rarely administered to children&quot;.&quot;Staff were working on the assumption that they were administering medication to an adult, not a child,&quot; read the damning review of the March 9 incident.The girl spent more than 12 hours in hospital until police realised their mistake and called her family to pick her up.&quot;I just wish to start by apologising to this young person and her family for the trauma and distress that was caused,&quot; said senior health official Richard Sullivan.&quot;This report is a frank read. But it is necessary to make sure this doesn&#x27;t happen again.&quot;New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon launched an investigation last week when the  incident came to light.&quot;That is incredibly distressing and incredibly concerning,&quot; he said.&quot;As a parent you identify with what is a horrific set of circumstances. I have massive amounts of empathy for her and her family.&quot;sft/djw/cms/fox© Agence France-Presse

An 11-year-old girl was restrained, injected with anti-psychotic drugs, and placed on a mental health ward after New Zealand police mistook her for a missing woman, a report found Wednesday.

An 11-year-old girl was restrained, injected with anti-psychotic drugs, and placed on a mental health ward after New Zealand police mistook her for a missing woman, a report found Wednesday.