Twins with autism in Kent, England, were tied to chairs several times while being educated at the local "Five Acres Wood Special School" . The school said it was to restrict their movements, and their parents, distraught and angry, took the child back home and filed a lawsuit.
Recently, the school apologized and gave the family 80,000 pounds (about 670,000 yuan) in compensation.
(Twin boys with autism, under the careful care of their parents, now look sunny.) ）
Parents take their children back and educate them at home
The twins, Samuel and Jacob, both with severe autism, began studying at school in 2009 when they were only 4 years old. Now, they are now 17 years old.
The first time such things happened was in 2010, when the boys were tied to chairs and brought out at a school concert.
In June 2011, a clinical psychologist visited the school and saw one of the boys tied to a chair in the classroom. At a school sports day, Jacob was also tied to a chair.
(The boys attended the school at the time.) ）
Their parents, Mark and Anne, had been protesting against the school's behavior, but to no avail. In 2013, Mark and Annie realized that this would not work, so they decided to let their children leave school.
Despite some opposition, they took Samuel and Jacob out of school and educated them at home, and the boys received better care.
The lawyer said the parents upheld the child's dignity
Mark and Anne said the school's use of chairs to tie up children undermined their human rights.
The couple filed a lawsuit against the Kent County Council, which runs the school under Britain's Human Rights Act, saying the school did not consider a more reasonable approach and did not reduce the frequency with which children were tied up in chairs. Parliament also acknowledged that there had been some missteps in the way the twins were treated.
A spokesman for kent parliament said in a statement that they "sincerely apologise to Samuel, Jacob and their parents" and offered the family £80,000 in compensation.
After the settlement, the Marks said: "We are delighted that Samuel and Jacob's case has come to a successful conclusion and that the local authorities have finally admitted that it has failed our son. ”
"Children with special educational needs should be protected, not tied to chairs. In cases like the abuse that happened to Samuel and Jacob, it was difficult for parents to find evidence to challenge it or to file legal proceedings. The couple also called for changes to the law. Their lawyer, Catriona Rubens, said: "Samuel and Jacob are active, sensory-seeking children who perceive the world through movement and touch. ”
Triona Rubens added: "The success of the Samuel and Jacob case proves that their parents have been working hard for years to preserve their child's dignity and insist that it was not in vain. ”
Text/Correspondent Sun Wenzhu