Hong Kong man with learning disabilities arrested during protests was denied treatment for 15 hours by police, his lawyer says
- Disabled man held without medical attention he asked for, according to lawyer Daniel Wong
- Police say they followed guidelines for ‘mentally incapacitated persons’ and the 32-year-old was later taken to hospital
A man with learning disabilities who was arrested in Hong Kong on Saturday night on suspicion of being involved in an anti-government protest was denied treatment for 15 hours, according to his lawyer.
The man, who is autistic and has a moderate form of the disability, was said to have suffered injuries to the back of his head, shoulder and mouth. The cause of his injuries was not known.
The man’s lawyer, Daniel Wong Kwok-tung, said his client had been in custody in Mong Kok Police Station and was not taken to see a doctor until Sunday afternoon, despite repeated complaints.
Police said the man was one of three arrested for protest-related offences outside the station on Saturday night and officers followed procedures for “mentally incapacitated persons” (MIPs) when his condition was discovered, before he was taken to hospital.
The man was intercepted by plain-clothes police on Saturday night, Wong said. He said the man was not wearing any protest gear or a mask at the time.