A veteran doctor who hogtied a young boy with ADHD during a consultation with the child’s mother has been reprimanded for unprofessional conduct.
Paediatrician Neville Davis admitted to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal that he acted inappropriately when he tied the seven-year-old boy’s hands and feet together behind his back in 2012.
The boy, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, had shown an increase in troubling behaviour, including running through the house with knives and scissors, before the consultation.
Dr Davis claimed he tried to distract the boy – who was hyperactive and disruptive – with puzzles, so he could discuss his case with his mother.
A veteran doctor who hogtied a hyperactive 7-year-old boy as his mother took photos (above) has been reprimanded for unprofessional conduct
Dr Neville Davis (pictured) appeared at the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal
After approximately 20 minutes he said to the boy, ‘would you please sit down, if you don’t sit down, I’ll tie you up.’
According to Dr Davis, the boy then replied, ‘Yeah, do that, that’d be fun’.
He claimed he then asked the boy’s mother her thoughts about tying him up and she said, ‘Yes, anything to keep him quiet’
He then said that he loosely tied the boys wrists and ankles to a chair before the boy easily freed himself.
‘Do it again, make it harder,’ the boy apparently asked Dr Davis.
He said he again asked the boy’s mother if it was okay to tie him up to which she answered: ‘Yes, and I’d also like to take some photos to see how you do the knots so I could do this at home’.
Dr Davis said that he responded to the boy’s mother by saying, ‘I don’t think you want to do this at home.’
He then told the boy to lie face down on the ground and ‘hogtied’ him by tying his wrist and ankles together.’
Dr Davis said that the tying up of the boy was not intended as a form of restraint but rather ‘something to puzzle over’ and to get out of, which he did within one to two minutes.
After he got out the boy punched his mother in the arm and Dr Davis demonstrated the squatting control technique.
Original assault charges brought against Dr Davis relating to tying up the boy were not proceeded with and he was acquitted of the remaining charge relating to the squatting over the boy.
He admitted that tying up the boy was an ‘aberrant lapse of judgement’
Dr Davis accepted that his behaviour in tying up AM was an ‘aberrant lapse of judgement’
He has retired from the medical profession and is no longer registered.
The Medical Board of Australia said Dr Davis showed poor judgement during the consultation.
It was noted that there was great concern about Dr Davis’s actions given his lengthy history as a paediatrician specialising in children with learning, social and emotional problems.
The tribunal found the appropriate sanction was a reprimand, which it said carried implications in respect of the doctor’s standing and reputation.