The Western Australian government has sparked widespread outrage after defending the mechanical shackling of a 16-year-old Indigenous girl to a Perth hospital bed as standard custodial management procedure.
The incident, which came to public attention after the teenager’s family released a photograph of the restraint, has reignited intense debate surrounding the state’s youth justice policies and the ongoing over-representation and treatment of First Nations children in custody.
Graphic image sparks public alarm
In the photograph circulated by her family, the 16-year-old’s ankles are shown bound in metal chains and affixed directly to the underside of a Perth hospital bed. The teenager had reportedly been admitted to the medical facility following her arrest by police officers at her home.
The Guardian Australia reported that the girl was allegedly dragged through her residence by police officers during the apprehension, before being transferred to hospital under guard. The published images showing the minor tethered to medical furniture have drawn severe condemnation from child welfare advocates, who described the practice as degrading and deeply disproportionate for a minor seeking healthcare.
Legal advocates noted that subjecting a young person to physical chains in a medical environment causes profound psychological trauma, compounding existing distress and undermining the duty of care owed to children in custody.
Department stands by restraint protocols
Despite mounting public criticism, the Western Australian Department of Justice has stood firmly behind its custodial officers, confirming that the use of restraints during hospital visits remains an authorised operational measure.
In a response to the controversy, the department maintained that shackling detainees while they receive offsite medical treatment forms part of standard custodial management practices. Corrections authorities argued that restraint policies are applied systematically to mitigate escape risks and protect both the public and custodial staff, irrespective of the detainee's age or clinical setting.
However, human rights groups argue that the routine application of heavy restraints on minors breaches basic human dignity and international conventions on the rights of the child. Critics maintain that hospitalised children should be treated primarily as patients, with medical staff and safeguarding protocols taking precedence over penal measures.
Scrutiny intensifies on state custodial system
The revelations come at a time of relentless scrutiny for Western Australia’s youth justice framework, which has faced sustained criticism over the management of high-profile detention centres, including the controversial Unit 18 and Banksia Hill.
Indigenous community leaders have repeatedly highlighted that First Nations youths continue to be detained and restrained at disproportionately high rates across the state. Decades after the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody delivered its landmark recommendations, civil liberties organisations argue that systemic failures persist in how state authorities handle vulnerable detainees.
Calls are now growing across the legal and medical fraternity for the state government to conduct an immediate review into custodial restraint directives, with advocates demanding a complete ban on chaining hospitalised children.
