Restraining people with disabilities is ‘barbaric’, Royal Commission hears

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.

Miki Perkins
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday 3rd December, 2019

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