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No rules for police in handling autistic persons
Following is the question by the Hon Yeung Sum and a reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
Complaints have been received from family members of autistic persons that police officers often fail to give due consideration to the difficulties of autistic persons in expressing themselves, when handling cases involving such persons. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council whether there are any guidelines or rules concerning the manner and attitude adopted by police officers when handling cases involving autistic persons; if so, what the details are; if not, why not?
Reply:
Mr President,
There are no specific guidelines or rules on the manner and attitude to be adopted by police officers when handling cases involving autistic persons.
This is because, apart from persons with autism, whose numbers are estimated to be 5,000 to 7,000 in Hong Kong, there could be many other people with different types and degrees of physical or mental disability. It simply is not practicable for the Police to draw up specific rules and guidelines to deal with each and every group of disabled persons.
However, the Police Force Procedures Manual has a section which deals with statement taking from mentally handicapped persons. There is a requirement that any person known or suspected to be mentally handicapped should only be interviewed or have a written statement recorded from them in the presence of their relative, guardian or other persons responsible for his care or for his custody; or someone who has experience of dealing with mentally handicapped persons, such as a social worker, outside the Police Force.
Police officers are fully aware of the need to take into account the special circumstances of all handicapped people when carrying out their duties. In response to a suggestion made at this Council's Working Group on Separate Legislation for Mentally Handicapped in 1993, the Social Welfare Department has been helping the Police to develop and refine the curriculum of the Police Training School in order to improve the skills of police officers when dealing with a mentally handicapped person. Police officers are briefed on :-
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