Probe into 11-year-old girl mistaken for woman, restrained and injected with antipsychotics delayed until December

NZ Herald

5 Aug, 2025 06:11 AM2 mins to read

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The incident arose after police were called to Fairfield Bridge in Hamilton on March 9 this year when a person described as a woman in her 20s was seen climbing on to the railings. Photo / NZME

A Health NZ Te Whatu Ora inquiry into the “traumatic experience” of an 11-year-old girl who was handcuffed, restrained at a mental health facility and injected with antipsychotic drugs, has had its reporting date delayed to December.

The review was initially expected to return findings today, August 5.

The
incident involved an 11-year-old girl taken by police to a mental health facility and injected with two doses of antipsychotic drugs after she was wrongly identified as a missing patient in her 20s. The Herald understands the girl is autistic and non-verbal.

Health NZ has apologised for the “traumatic experience” and launched an internal investigation into the incident in Hamilton, including “any medication or treatment given” to the young girl, while police say they acted in the best interests of keeping someone safe.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon criticised the response to the incident as “unacceptable” earlier this year.