PIERRE, S.D. (KELO AM) The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota is suing over the forced catheterization of criminal suspects in South Dakota.
The ACLU alleges that using catheters to force suspects to give urine samples is unconstitutional.
Named in the suits are the South Dakota Department of Social Services, Avera St. Mary's Hospital, members of the Pierre Police and Sisseton Police, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol.
One of the lawsuits has been filed on behalf of a three-year-old child who was forcibly catheterized to collect evidence in a potential child abuse case. The other is on behalf of five adults who were catheterized in criminal investigations.
“Forcible catheterization is painful, physically and emotionally damaging, and deeply degrading,” says Heather Smith, ACLU Executive Director. “Catheterization isn’t the best way to obtain evidence, but it is absolutely the most humiliating."
(PDF copies of lawsuits are attached above this story)