Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
An 11-year-old girl who was mistaken for an adult, handcuffed and admitted to a mental health facility was given at least two doses of anti-psychotic medication, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says.
Investigations are under way by both Health New Zealand and police after the incident in Hamilton earlier this month.
The girl, who is reportedly autistic and non-verbal, was mistaken for a 20-year-old mental health patient by police after she was seen climbing a bridge.
Doocey told Morning Report the situation is hugely distressing.
"The 11-year-old was taken into Waikato Hospital and administered antipsychotic drugs twice throughout the day," Doocey said.
Asked how this could happen, the minister says the issue sits with the misidentification of this child.
The 20-year-old who she was mistaken for was under compulsory care in the community which is why the antipsychotic drugs were able to be administered, Doocey said.
How the misidentification process failed was needing to be investigated, he said.
"I still don't understand how an 11-year-old can be confused for a lady in her 20s."
Both Health New Zealand and Waikato police have launched internal reviews.
Doocey first became aware of the incident on Friday, he said from the information he received the incident had gone to a review committee but "it doesn't look like that review had started".
"It looks like the incident review wasn't done almost two weeks after the event."
Doocey said not only will people need to be held accountable but the system needs to be.
Asked on Tuesday whether heads should roll, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said: "By all means, there should be accountability in the system."
Police Minister Mark Mitchell has said officers were "doing the best that they could".
"The police, unfortunately, throughout the process, have misidentified her, but make no mistake, they were doing the best that they could to look after her and to support her."
The Health and Disability Commissioner and the Independent Police Conduct Authority have both received complaints about the incident.
How did a child come to be misidentified as an adult?
Superintendent Scott Gemmell, Acting Waikato District Commander has described the events that led to the 11-year-old being misidentified.
Gemmell said police were called about 6.40am on Sunday 9 March to the Fairfield Bridge after a person described as a female in her 20s was seen climbing onto the railings.
"Fearing for her safety, police units, including a police boat, responded immediately, and staff attempted to speak to the female. She was unable to give the officers any details and did not have any personal identification on her."
Police were concerned she was suffering from a mental health episode and took her to Waikato Hospital for assessment.
"The female got into a patrol car without requiring assistance or force and was not handcuffed," Gemmel said.
Waikato Hospital Photo: Supplied/ Waikato Hospital
On arrival at the hospital officers decided to put her in handcuffs when her behaviour caused further concern for her safety, he said.
Later speaking to Checkpoint, Gemmell said when the girl was taken to Waikato Hospital, "identification was of primary concern".
"We took a photo of her and we distributed that amongst our staff on one of our distribution lists.
"One of our staff came back with a nomination of a person who was residing in a community based mental health facility approximate ot the Fairfeld bridge."
Police then spoke to a carer and sent through a copy of that photograph for identification purposes.
"We did that and the carer did come back to say they thought it was this person as well.
"Based on that knowledge, we went into the emergency department at Waikato Hospital, and based on that information that we have to hand, we believed this to be another person.
"We are really disappointed and gutted by what has subsequently happened."
Gemmell said he had seen photos of the two, and they had similar face, hair and complexion, but officers at the time were relying more heavily on someone who dealt with the 20-year-old more often.
Gemmell said the 20-year-old woman was not in a mental health facility at the time of the incident.
A local woman was thought to be a possible identity and police sought to confirm this with a mental health service provider who knew that person. Based on that advice they told Waikato Hospital staff, including their rationale for the nominated identity, he said.
"The incorrectly nominated person was not involved in any earlier occurrence and was not being sought by police."
About 6pm that evening, a woman reported her 11-year-old daughter missing, and a staff member recognised her as the female picked up on the bridge.
Police staff immediately disseminated information about her, including a photo to all staff, as she was considered a vulnerable missing person due to her age and several other factors.
One staff member recognised her and her family was contacted.
