Eleven-year-old is mistakenly admitted to psychiatric ward and sedated with tranquilizers!

New Zealand - Scandalous mix-up! An eleven-year-old girl accidentally ended up in a psychiatric ward in New Zealand and was treated with strong sedatives.

As the New Zealand news site RNZ reports, the child was mistaken by police for a 20-year-old woman who had previously disappeared from a hospital.

As an investigation report published on Wednesday reveals, this dramatic mix-up led to the autistic, non-speaking girl being handcuffed and taken to a clinic on March 9.

A police patrol had previously discovered the eleven-year-old when she had tried to climb over a bridge railing.

At the hospital, a member of staff noticed that the admitted patient looked more like a child and possibly had a disability. But her observations were completely ignored.

Everyone was apparently convinced that it was the missing 20-year-old. As a result, the girl was eventually restrained and given a sedative for adults - an incredible mistake!

The eleven-year-old spent more than twelve hours in hospital until her mother reported her missing in the evening. Only then did the officers realize their terrible mistake. The child was eventually reunited with her family.

Those responsible apologized and measures were taken to ensure that such an incident would never happen again.

However, it is not yet known whether the missing and wanted 20-year-old has been found.