Using restraints which can impede mentally disabled students’ breathing breaches Hong Kong guidelines, warns protection group

Using restraints that can impede the breathing of mentally disabled students is in breach of official guidelines, the leader of a protection group in Hong Kong has warned, after a special needs school was earlier accused of mistreating its pupils.

The remarks from Renee Lai Pui-mei, chairwoman of the Association of Parents of the Severely Mentally Handicapped, on Tuesday came after police and education authorities launched an investigation into the alleged mistreatment of students by staff at Hong Chi Pinehill No 2 School in Tai Po.

The accusations came to light on Sunday in a report by a Chinese-language paper, which published unverified photos, reportedly provided by parents, showing a student struggling to remove a jacket thrown over his or her head.

Another picture from the media outlet showed someone placing a cloth over a student’s face. The report also cited a parent as saying that a pupil had suffered bruises from wrist wraps.

“Obviously, using a jacket to cover a student’s head or using a bib to forcefully cover their face has already violated current guidelines,” Lai told a radio programme.

She said guidelines by the Education Bureau clearly stated that any restraints used on students should not affect their breathing.