01 Investigation
Author: Zheng Jiaru
2020-10-19 07:00
Last update date: 2020-10-19 07:00
As mentioned above, a boy with severe intellectual disability living in the dormitory of Hong Chi Society’s Songling Second School was forced into the room by the dormitory social worker last year and was caught four times by the door and broke his finger.
A former staff member revealed that the room that school children resist entering is called the "Ningxu Terrace". It is usually used to restrain and isolate mentally handicapped children who are venting their emotions to prevent them from being injured or hurting others.
"Hong Kong 01" investigated for more than a year and found that there were students in the dormitory who had suffered severe bruises due to prolonged restraint, and some students had been separated in small rooms or locked chairs for many years.
The Education Bureau requires professional opinions and written parental consent before using restraint or isolation. However, the situation of Songling Second School is quite different from the regulations.
Some parents pointed out that they never agreed to keep their son in the dormitory.
A spokesperson for Hong Chi Association pointed out that for personal privacy reasons, cases that failed to respond to reporters' enquiries, schools will report them according to established procedures if there are special circumstances.
The Education Bureau replied that since 2010, the school has reported two student accidents, but has not received complaints about the school's care of students.
01Investigation report on "Silent Scream"
Silent Shouts·Special Page｜Exposing the Shady of Multiple Student Accidents in the Dormitory of Special Schools with Serious Mental Disabilities
Silent Scream, One | Hong Chi Club Dormitory Mentally Handicapped Child Fractured by Finger
Silent Scream 2｜The mentally handicapped children in Hong Chi Club's dormitory have been locked in rooms and chairs for a long time
▼Hong Chi Association Songling Second School has many accidents in recent years▼
Wenzi was confined in a small room for a long time
Wenzi (pseudonym), a boy with severe intellectual disability and autism, was forced into the room by the school dormitory staff in March last year. He was caught four times by the door and fractured.
After the accident, his mother searched the dormitory's closed-screen TV and began to reveal the accident.
But why was Wenzi locked into the room at that time?
The male dormitory at Songling No. 2 School is called "Ning's House" and has a hall used as an activity room.
In the hall, there is a room that was used as a locker, an aluminum window was added, an unauthorized terrace that was converted into an empty space, and a bathroom.
The place where Wenzi was caught is the door called "Ningxu Terrace" in the school.
There is a TV and glass windows in the "balcony" to allow staff to monitor the situation from outside.
A bookcase in the middle divides the space in half to separate two school children at the same time.
Three former staff members who had worked in the dormitory, including two registered social workers, respectively accused that schoolchildren were kept in small rooms or locked chairs for years.
When a school child was heavily restrained, he was struggling too much and was ignored, causing extensive bruises.
Because most of the severely mentally handicapped children who have been boarding in the school dormitory for many years do not speak or write, and some of them are very weak, when the staff use tools to restrain them and separate them in the room for a long time, they will also be visited by their parents. Can't speak.
Lele (pseudonym) has a tendency to self-harm. A former staff member once discovered that he was tied up by a dormitory employee. He was suspected of having extensive bruises due to excessive strife.
The picture was provided by the interviewee. It was not at the time of the incident, but it showed that Lele was already in pain when he was restrained by a special chair.
(Photo by Zheng Jiaru)
Lele was tied to a backpack and put basketball
What impressed the former Ning’s employee A most was the scene where Lele (a pseudonym) was found tied up with five flowers on the eve of the Lunar New Year in 2018.
Lele is a severely mentally handicapped boy who has now graduated from school.
At the time of the incident, he was 19 years old, but he looked like a thin boy of 5 to 6 years old.
Former employee A found when he was on the shift, Lele was arranged to sit on a chair called the "special chair" or "CP stool" in the school.
The backpack of this special chair is upholstered, and there is also a square plate covered with upholstery in the front to prevent schoolchildren from being injured by impact or slap.
While Lele was locked on the chair, he was also brought with a pair of hand ties, helmet and waist seal to prevent him from bending his arms.
Since Lele had self-harm behavior, he once slapped her abdomen to cause a "bursting belly", so the school ordered a number of restraint tools to prevent him from self-harming.
But on that day, in addition to being put on full "equipment", he was also put on a backpack with a basketball inside.
Lele had obviously struggled.
▼Lele has been tied up for a long time with bruises all over his body▼
Struggling to collapse and bruise
"At that time, he was completely powerless, "Xie Xie, sweating." The whole person was very tired and tired. He obviously struggled severely." A said that no staff took off the restraints for Lele at the time. When he found out, Lele Le resembles that after swimming, his body is drenched and his hair dripping.
As for the suspender jeans that I was wearing, all the buttons had exploded, causing the trousers to fall off and to the ankle position.
"If he likes something very much, as long as you give it to him, he will be quiet." Former employee A is acquainted with Lele and feels that although Lele has a tendency to self-harm, such restraint is not necessary.
The Lele family happened to visit the dormitory that night. "The social worker on the scene is like a ghost. They immediately took off all the restraints, put on a new shirt, and dried their hair with a hair dryer." When changing clothes and changing films, A found , Lele's waist and back of knees have been bruised extensively.
▼Lele is restrained simulation diagram▼
Police officers involved in child abuse only adopted school records
In the early morning that night, Lele was sent to the hospital for vomiting.
The next day, when another former employee went to work, he found that Lele was again restrained, and the situation was the same as yesterday.
After discussing privately with several colleagues, another former employee C decided that the injury was serious or constituted child abuse, so he decided to call the police.
However, after a police officer arrived at the scene to investigate, he responded to the informant saying that after consulting the nurse's student record, he found that the evidence was insufficient, and the incident ended.
"I have repeatedly emphasized that the police should investigate further, but in the end they were not sent to the hospital for medical examination. You just listened to the nurse's statement, and the nurse just relayed it based on the report."
(Hong Kong 01 drawing)
The principal questioned the identity of the reporter
The day after the report was made, two former employees, A and C, pointed out that the then principal Lin Ziyuan never mentioned Lele’s injury, but repeatedly questioned the identity of the reporter at the meeting.
They believe that the principal intends to find the informant and settle the account after the fall.
The police responded to the enquiry of "Hong Kong 01", stating that a report was received on February 16, 2018, that a 19-year-old student was suspected of being injured in the school.
After being reported to the scene for investigation, officers learned that the child had gone to the hospital for treatment of the injury in the morning that day.
The attending doctor believed that the injury was related to the school children’s long-term wearing of waist seals that met the needs of the condition. There was no evidence that the injury involved criminal elements, and the case was treated as a "misunderstanding".
A former staff member witnessed Lele struggling to the point that his body was wounded, but no one untied him.
(Photo by Yang Rongfei)
Abductee staff: You can treat school children "no building"
Registered social worker and former employee C recalled that that day, he believed that the principal would not face the situation squarely, so he made a report on his own.
"Frankly speaking, I don't have confidence. I don't think (the school) will protect the rights of the students." As for who tied Lele, he also knew.
"I have also seen that colleague deal with (Lele) tantrums before, and that person also thinks that it is very good to deal with it that way, it can be "cured" to Lele's true "no building"."
Another former employee thought that Lele was seriously injured, so he took the initiative to call the police and asked the police to intervene, but the incident was not resolved.
(Photo by Yang Rongfei)
"Ningxu Tool" is intended to prevent self-injury and requires expert evaluation and parental consent
The so-called "Ningxu tools" are devices that restrict physical activity, such as special chairs, hand ties, waist seals, etc., and are used to protect people with special needs and those around them, so as to prevent them from hurting when they vent their emotions or engage in self-harm behavior. To yourself or others.
Ningxu Space is used to separate rooms for people with special needs when they are emotionally excited.
Such spaces may be equipped with four-sided cushions to protect them from injuries.
The Education Bureau issued guidelines in 2018, stipulating that when using restraint or isolation tools, schools must discuss the use in detail with school personnel (including educational psychologists, teachers, social workers, nurses and dormitory staff, etc.) and related persons (such as psychiatrists) The possible positive and negative effects of restraint or isolation methods.
The school shall also obtain parental consent, and the parent shall sign a binding consent form.
The restraint method should be the last resort to ensure the safety of students and avoid injury. The time must be as short as possible, and should not be used as the usual method of teaching and managing students.
Restraint or isolation should not cause physical harm to the student. If the student expresses or shows pain, he must immediately remove the restraint or stop the isolation. After the student calms down, all restraints shall be removed.
Psychiatrist: Can not be abused for convenience of care
Guo Weiming, consultant and psychiatrist of the Association for Persons with Intellectual Disability, believes that if children with intellectual disabilities make fierce resistance or struggle due to emotions when restrained, the institution should send them to the hospital and refer them to a doctor for treatment, and they can be controlled by drugs.
Guo emphasized that restraint or separation measures cannot be used for a long time, nor should they be abused for reasons such as shortage of manpower and convenience for care.
Before using such measures, schools need to assess the needs of school children, and gradually start trials with minimum restraints.
He also pointed out that restraint or isolation must not cause injury to school children.
Li Zhirong, a spokesperson for the Association of Parents of Severely Mentally Handicapped People, said that the restraint consent form signed by parents may specify the restraint tools and the specific circumstances under which they can be used. However, each school has different practices and there is no consistent standard.
If the description of the consent form is general, the parents may not have the actual situation.
Tools that are not listed in the consent form, such as a basketball carried by Lele, should not be used.
The reporter made an unannounced visit and found that A Bao was locked in the original storage room
"Qu Chengri is a person who shuts him down (he is kept in that cave all day)." Social worker B, who once worked in the dormitory, described it like this. The other dormitory was used to keep boy Abao for a long time. (Pseudonym) small room.
According to the building plan of the school dormitory approved by the Buildings Department, the room was about five feet by six feet, and it was originally a storage room.
When the reporter visited the dormitory secretly, he saw that the room where A Bao was located was not airtight. There was a blue door panel that was as high as the boy's chin. There was a mirror in the corner of the ceiling for staff to monitor the interior of the room. There was also a soft cushion on the floor.
He always talked about playing shit during the day, but in fact, he didn't want to dirty his pants, so he would rather catch it by himself and spoil you.
In fact, he is a person who cares about the cleanliness of his place.
Former employee A described A Bao who had been trapped in the small room for a long time
▼Hong Chi Association Pine Ridge Second School Dormitory Plan▼
According to social worker B’s observation, A Bao was detained for a long time because of his violent habit of beating. In addition to going to school, eating and going to the toilet, he also sleeps in the room on weekdays.
If it is a school holiday, Abao will basically linger in the room and bump his head all day.
"The 屙 is at the same degree, and the 垓 is again at the 嗰 degree. I won't take him out often." Former staff A also pointed out that the dormitory staff often complained that A Bao was incontinent in the room.
"They often say that he plays shit. In fact, he just doesn't want to get his pants dirty, so he prefers to hold it with his hands and return it to you. In fact, he is a person who cares about his own cleanliness."
Fuzai (a pseudonym), a severely mentally disabled child, is also locked in a special chair for a long time every day.
In addition to being allowed by the staff to let the wind go, unable to move around.
(Photo by Zheng Jiaru)
Fu Tsai sits on the "special chair" for five hours
From the CCTV footage of Wenzi's accident, it can be seen that before the incident, another boy was kept in the "Ningxu Terrace."
As the dormitory staff wanted to lock up Wenzi, they took the boy away and pushed Wenzi inside.
It turned out that behind the bookcase in the middle of the terrace, there was another boy, Fuzi (a pseudonym).
Former employee A, who had worked in the dormitory for many years, explained to reporters that Fuzi had uncoordinated hands and feet and would bite people or objects from time to time. Therefore, the dormitory arranged him to sit on a special purple chair.
After Fu Tsai sits on the chair, he will also be caught by the square hoarding.
Former employee A described, “Every time he sits there, at least three hours. When he returns to the (dormitory), he will sit soon, except for bathing, eating, going to the bathroom, and sleeping.” She pointed out Fu Tsai's father agreed to use the special chair, but he also asked the dormitory to bring Fu Tsai to "release the wind" from time to time.
The staff would occasionally let Fu Tsai "walk the enterprise" within the Ningxu Terrace.
However, he usually sits in the same position for more than five hours a day, and also wears diapers to avoid the need for staff to take him to the toilet.
Reporter secretly visited Fu Tsai to watch TV quietly and was still tied up
When the reporter visited the dormitory secretly, he saw Fu Tsai sitting quietly on a "special chair" watching TV.
Obviously, the dormitory did not follow the guidelines of the Education Bureau to lift the restraints when the students calmed down.
The three former staff interviewed at Songling No. 2 School agree that most of the parents of boarding students may have signed the restraint consent form, but because the students cannot speak, unless it causes obvious injuries, it is generally difficult for parents to find the dormitory abused restraint tools for a long time.
Wenzi’s mother pointed out that she had never agreed to the school to put her child in a room for isolation, and only signed an agreement to use a special chair during class time to help concentrate on class.
▼The incident occurred in the dormitory of Hong Chi Association of Tai Po Songling Second School▼
Hong Chi Association: Not responding to the case, the new principal understands the heavy responsibility
A spokesperson for Hong Chi Association pointed out that due to respect for personal privacy reasons, it was unable to respond to the case in detail. However, in general, if schools have special circumstances, they will follow the established procedures to their incorporated management committees and school sponsoring bodies. And the Education Bureau.
Regarding restraint or isolation matters, each case will pass an inter-professional case conference for overall consideration and timely review. Parents’ opinions and written consent will be sought in advance.
Since the Education Bureau issued the relevant guidelines, the school has gradually updated the internal guidelines to provide relevant training for employees to deepen their understanding of the guidelines.
The new principal said that he understands that taking care of students with severe intellectual disabilities is of great responsibility, and will lead the team to continue to work hard, communicate more with parents, and provide students with a better and more pleasant learning and living environment.
In reply to the enquiry of "Hong Kong 01", the Education Bureau pointed out that the school has reported two accidents involving school children since 2010, but has not received complaints about the school’s handling of students’ emotional and behavioral problems, and student care. However, as usual, they will not be disclosed. Details of individual cases.
The bureau also pointed out that when students have serious emotional behavior problems, the use of restraint or isolation by personnel in ordinary schools or special schools and their dormitory departments is an understandable emergency response measure to ensure the safety of students or other people and maintain order.
Following investigation by the reporter, it was discovered that a student in Hong Chi Society’s Songling Second School was suffocated after being fed, and died of brainstem in hospital for three years. There have been many accidents in the school dormitory, and there have been shady scenes in the past disabled institutions, which reflect the black hole. For details, please pay attention to tomorrow "Silent Scream" series of reports.
01 Special page for investigating the "Silent Scream" investigation report: uncovering multiple student accidents in the dormitory of a special school with severe mental disabilities
Silent Scream, One | Hong Chi Club Dormitory Mentally Handicapped Child Fractured by Finger
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