The Hong Kong Human Rights Foundation will file a report to the United Nations about the attempt last week to deport a three-year-old Hong Kong-born girl and her mother. Lawyers for the girl, Janine Shaina Ma, and her mother Teresita Trumpo Failano, yesterday began a legal suit against the Secretary of Justice, seeking damages for their treatment by Immigration Department staff. Ms Failano was put in handcuffs and the pair taken into custody at the Victoria Immigration Centre at around 1pm on Thursday. Ms Failano had gone there to extend their bail ahead of their next court appearance on August 18. She was told her daughter was being deported, even though Janine's deportation order was being challenged in the courts. The pair were placed on board a Cathay Pacific flight bound for Manila when, minutes before takeoff, Court of First Instance judge Verina Bokhary issued an order restraining the Director of Immigration from deporting Janine. Ms Failano sustained deep bruises to her wrists and forearms, which she claimed were inflicted when the officials dragged her and pulled her by the handcuffs. They pulled her hair, punched her arm and kicked her in front of her daughter, she said. Doctors also found Janine had suffered an injury to her right wrist and swelling to the left eyelid. The writ filed yesterday said Janine was claiming damages for assault, unlawful arrest and false imprisonment. Her mother's claim was for damages for civil assault. Police are investigating the incident. Human Rights Foundation chairman Aaron Nattrass said it was forwarding a report of the incident to the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and the United Nations Commissioner on the Rights of Children. It also wants legislators to hold an inquiry, and is seeking video footage of the incident from immigration officials. 'That a mother is beaten in front of her child is atrocious. That violence on a child is used is unforgivable. And that the director doesn't understand that such behaviour is unacceptable is a tragedy,' Mr Nattrass said.