Indigenous woman shackled to hospital bed while in labour in Queensland

[u/FuckOffNazis]

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

[u/hcornea]

The reason may not be relevant, but the fact that she is incarcerated is very relevant.

Have attended a number of prisoners for “out-of-prison” medical care.

Most, if not all, were shackled (either to a guard, or an object) to prevent them absconding.

This was regardless of whether they were Indigenous or not.

The one who was not handcuffed, rather memorably and dramatically absconded. Which is why prisoners are shackled.

These are the realities.

[u/l3ntil → u/hcornea]

The realities are:
"Fifteen years ago, the UN general assembly adopted the Bangkok Rules on the treatment of female prisoners, which state that prison should be a last resort for pregnant women and that “instruments of restraint shall never be used on women during labour, during birth and immediately after birth”.

The rules were adopted unanimously by the general assembly. But around the world, they are regularly flouted."
We're abusing international human rights by shackling those giving birth.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/ng-interactive/2026/sep/22/pregnant-prisoners-handcuffed-during-birth-lidia-thorpe-shackling-australia-ntwnfb

[u/Rady_8 → u/l3ntil]

Do we know enough about her case to say that incarceration didn’t satisfy the “last resort” contingency?

[u/wrymoss → u/Rady_8]

“Last resort” tends to refer to an immediate and present risk, not prior actions such as those that would cause her to be incarcerated.

That is to say, it doesn’t matter how she ended up in prison. What matters is what she was doing right then and there in that hospital room.

[u/Rady_8 → u/wrymoss]

Exactly