The Queensland government has confirmed it continues to use spit hoods on minors, with at least one child subjected to the controversial device in the past year.
Queensland police have told a budget estimates hearing that they have been exploring alternative measures, but the government would not confirm whether they will ban spit hoods or continue to use the restraints.
The state’s police minister, Mark Ryan, told estimates on Wednesday that spit hoods were rarely used on children and had not been deployed against minors in the past seven months.
“Obviously, we need to get the policies right to work with the operational requirements of the Queensland police service,” Ryan said.
“Certainly it would be the government’s view at least to ensure they had appropriate use of force options which didn’t include spit hoods.”
A spit hood is a bag constructed out of mesh that is placed over the head of a detainee to stop them from spitting or biting, with the aim of preventing injury to or infection of the police officer.
Along with the Northern Territory, Queensland is just one of two Australian jurisdictions that use the devices on young people.
Queensland police have used spit hoods eight times on minors – aged between 10 and 17 – since 2019, budget estimates heard.
Data released by NT police in February revealed spit hoods had been used on children in police watch houses 27 times over the past four years.
The Queensland police service commissioner, Katarina Carroll, said spit hoods were only used on minors in police watch houses in Queensland.
She said police are working with the children’s commissioner to make alternative restraint and force options available for young people.
The Greens MP for Maiwar, Michael Berkman, called on the Labor government to ban the use of spit hoods in the state to bring Queensland in line with the majority of Australian jurisdictions.
“You can offer alternatives all you like, but until you get spit hoods out of prisons and watch houses they can still be used on children and adults, and they will be disproportionately used on First Nations people,” Berkman said.
“South Australia waited until these torture devices killed someone to ban them. Let’s not wait for another death in custody before we act here in Queensland.”
The use of spit hoods and restraint chairs was described as “inhumane” by a 2017 royal commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory, which recommended their use be ended.
South Australia legislated a ban on the use of spit hoods last November.
