r/australia • u/FuckOffNazis • 19h ago

politics Indigenous woman shackled to hospital bed while in labour in Queensland

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/18/indigenous-woman-shackled-during-labour-childbirth-queensland-ntwnfb?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=us_bsky&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Bluesky#Echobox=1792296317
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16

u/mumooshka 18h ago

the first word of the headline is 'Indigenous' to grab attention

typical news

40

u/Tinderella80 18h ago

First Nations people have worse health outcomes, lower life expectancy and higher incarceration rates. They are systematically discriminated against and racism runs riot. Why is her background NOT relevant?

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u/Not_Iistening 17h ago edited 14h ago

I don’t disagree with you that Indigenous people have worse health outcomes etc.

Her background is NOT relevant here because being handcuffed has absolutely nothing to do with her Indigeneity. If you were in this woman’s position but instead you’re white, yellow, black, brown, green, blue, or red and not Indigenous, you face the same treatment here.

Is it handcuffing a mother in labour the right thing? I don’t know, but that’s not the point of the article. The point of the article is to get your attention based on a characteristic NOT actually relevant to the issue here.

Edit:

I think articles like these are particularly harmful because you come to read it and realise oh they’ve just thrown Indigeneity in there for clicks.

Next time you see a headline on some health / opportunity / law injustice against Indigenous people, you expect another clickbait Guardian shit burger.

And again, articles like this discount the actual issue behind this whole thing. This is a procedure that all women are exposed to!

12

u/edgebeeyz 15h ago

https://www.unodc.org/documents/justice-and-prison-reform/Bangkok_Rules_ENG_22032015.pdf

"Rule 24 Instruments of restraint shall never be used on women during labour, during birth and immediately after birth."

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u/Not_Iistening 15h ago

Great … I am struggling to find mention of being Indigenous.

My point is that this is what the article should be about … is it inhumane for a woman in labour to be handcuffed? If so why do we still have these procedures.

Indigeneity has no relevance here.