The lawful but “barbaric” use of chemical and mechanical restraints on people with disability should spark public outrage, but instead their use is widely overlooked, a royal commission hearing has been told.
Dr Claire Spivakovsky, a criminologist from Melbourne University, told the disability royal commission that restraints include chemical restraint – the use of medication to make people more docile or lower their libido – and mechanical restraints, like being strapped to a chair or bed. A person may also be physically restrained by a staff member, or secluded.