Tasering a child not acceptable

The racial and discrimination lawsuit over the tasering of a girl, 16, in February 2020 by Queensland Police will be determined in the Federal Court. The incident, at Townsville Community Learning Centre, where Indigenous girl Tiejwana McLennan was a year 11 student, raises serious concerns about police conduct and substandard processes. Interviews and legal documents show Tiejwana, who has cerebral palsy and an intellectual disability, was tasered until she lost consciousness, then handcuffed and shackled. She had ­refused to be interviewed alone over allegations she had been abused. Tiejwana, described as having the intellectual capacity of a year 2 or 3 student at the time, also has epilepsy, visual impairment and paralysis of her right hand.

She was summoned to the principal’s office, over the public address system, when two plainclothes senior constables, one male and one female, arrived to question her, without warning. Tiejwana, who was not offered a support person, was known by the school and her carers as prone to become verbally aggressive when “overwhelmed”.

After refusing to answer questions she ran from the principal’s office into the schoolyard where she picked up a plastic cricket bat and hit classroom windows and a rail. After she verbally abused the police, staff calmed her and she returned inside, trying to close a door behind her. One officer tried to block the door with his foot, claiming he feared she would pick up items she could use as a weapon or to self-harm. Police say the officer pushed open the door, she “lunged’’ at him and he tasered her. A police investigation reportedly cleared the officers.

The approach to such a challenging incident was deeply flawed. Police must explain why they wanted to do the interview at school when the girl was not expecting it and she lacked support. It is not clear why they persisted when she was unwilling. The use of force, which has reportedly caused her subsequent problems, cannot be justified. It can only make a bad situation worse.