Allegations of an assault against a mental health patient by a psychiatric worker have been brought to the attention of police by a watchdog group.
Details of the alleged assault were revealed in August at an Employment Relations Authority hearing where Lopiseni Lataimoana Takataka, a psychiatric worker, challenged his dismissal from the Henry Bennett Centre at Waikato Hospital.
The authority upheld the dismissal after a witness gave evidence stating Mr Takataka forced a young psychiatric patient suffering from autism to the ground and held him in a headlock after a verbal altercation.
The patient complained to the Waikato District Health Board, which carried out an internal investigation. Mr Takataka said he had acted in self-defence,
However, after interviewing other staff who witnessed the incident, the health board concluded Mr Takataka had assaulted the patient - constituting serious misconduct - and dismissed him.
