Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey confirmed that the correct procedures were not followed when police mistakenly detained an 11-year-old girl and gave her two doses of antipsychotic medication.
The girl was wrongly identified as a missing adult mental health patient. Police and first responders took her to Waikato Hospital and handcuffed her because they were worried about her safety.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said this incident is troubling and announced that a health inquiry is underway. He expects the inquiry will reveal what happened in this concerning situation.
“Obviously, there was a misidentification that happened there with between police. There is now a health inquiry going on, and we need to really get to the bottom of that that is incredibly distressing and worrying,” says Luxon.
