11-Year-Old Indigenous Girl Handcuffed At School By Police And Put In A Jail Cell

‘Was she a dangerous criminal that you had to handcuff her?’

The Northern Territory Police have said that they were justified in handcuffing an 11-year-old girl last week, calling her 'violent'.

Allan Clarke / BuzzFeed

The girl was handcuffed and led to a police paddy wagon at her school in Tennant Creek in front of shocked students last Thursday.

The NT Police allege that the girl had committed several break-ins.

"My information, at this stage, is that the officers deemed it necessary to take that option," he said, "It's known in our policy as a last resort, often as a result of that person's violent behaviour," NT Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw told SKY News.

Commissioner Kershaw said the officers had no choice but to handcuff the school girl after she became aggressive.

"At this stage, I'm satisfied that the officer involved has given account that they believe their actions were proportionate to the violent history of that individual".

“I think it was appalling,” the girl's great-grandmother told the NT News.

Allan Clarke / BuzzFeed

The girl's great-grandmother has made a complaint to police and says that none of her family were notified of the arrest.

“I asked the detective in charge, ‘Was she a dangerous criminal that you had to handcuff her?’ He said it was protocol, end of story.

“I don’t think that should happen to anyone. This was a big detective. She is a small, slight girl.”

The girl is currently a ward of the state and went missing on the Sunday after her arrest. Following an appeal for information from the public, the girl was found in the Darwin suburb of Palmerston yesterday.

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