NT government refuses to answer questions on continued use spithoods and restraints

The Gunner government has repeatedly refused to answer questions about the continued use of spithoods and restraints on children in police watch houses.

THE Chief Minister and NT Police have refused to answer questions regarding the continued use of spit hoods and emergency restraint chairs in the NT.

In February the NT News exclusively revealed Territory police had used spithoods on children 27 times since 2018, 21 of those were since 2020, and in one instance a spithood was used on a child just 12 years old.

Restraint chairs (RC) were used a total of six times since 2018. Both devices were banned in juvenile detention settings under the Gunner government in 2016.

NT Police Minister Nicole Manison: Picture: (A) manda Parkinson

Following the revelations, the Territory’s Attorney-General Selena Uibo denied any knowledge of their use prior to an emergency caucus meeting that was called on Friday 18 February. The NT News understands the meeting was called following questions to various ministers, who were unaware of their continued use. After the story went public Police Minister Nicole Manison sent a letter to NT Police asking “for alternatives to be investigated”.

The NT News has since sent the Chief Minister Michael Gunner and Ms Mansion six emails and three messages requesting a copy of the letter and asking a series of questions. NT News has also had several calls to Mr Gunner’s office requesting the letter.

Thirty-eight days after Ms Manison asked for alternatives to be investigated, the NT Government and police have refused to provide any updates.

Instead on Saturday, Ms Mansion’s office provided the same one line response they had provided weeks earlier: “Police have received the request and will respond soon,” a spokeswoman said.

The one-line response follows more than a month of silence from the Chief Minister, who has refused to speak publicly or answer any questions about spithoods and RCs continued use in the Territory.

Notably Mr Gunner appeared the day after the NT News exclusively broke the story on the ABC’s Tuesdays with the Chief, however the issue of spit hoods or restraint chairs was not discussed.

Furthermore the NT News has contacted police four times, since the 7th of March, and were originally told “they would respond soon”.

Nine days later Assistant Commissioner Janelle Tonkin said “NT Police were conducting a review of the use of spit hoods in its watch houses.”

Then last Wednesday a police spokesman said in a written response: “The review is continuing. It is an internal review and NT Police won’t be providing comments.”

The Royal Commission’s 2017 findings clearly prohibited both forms of restraints and described the method as “inhumane”.

Despite the continued silence from Mr Gunner the NT Police, social, medical and legal experts in the Northern Territory have called for the Royal Commission’s recommendations to be fully enacted and youth justice reforms to be truly “therapeutic”.

NTCOSS chief executive Deborah Di Natale said the organisation expected the Territory Government would be true to its word.

Originally published as NT government refuses to answer questions on continued use spithoods and restraints