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The Papanui
Library in the South Island city of Christchurch installed the
device, which produces a high-frequency buzz that can be heard
apparently only by people under 25, to deter youths from
loitering outside and intimidating library users.
The library agreed to turn over a new leaf and evaluate its use
after receiving criticism from the public and rights activists.
"Libraries should be places where children and teenagers are
welcome, not excluded by deliberately making them
uncomfortable," Thomas Beagle, the head of the New Zealand
Council for Civil Liberties, said in a statement on his website
condemning the device.
The Council of Europe said in 2010 the mosquito was a breach of
human rights and anti-torture conventions. It also raised
potential health problems that could arise from exposing
children and babies to high-frequency sounds.
Despite shelving the device for now, the library said it had
worked.
"Recent customer feedback said the device has helped to manage
the behavior and customers feel safer entering our libraries,"
Carolyn Robertson, head of libraries at the Christchurch City
Council, said in an emailed statement.
(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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