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Allegations
of Abuse in Institutions |
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More people continue to
come forward to allege abuse and mistreatment at the hands of psychiatric
hospital staff at Porirua and other hospitals. More than 300 people
had come forward and that number was climbing, said Wellington lawyer Roger
Chapman, who with lawyer Sonja Cooper is spearheading action against the
Crown on behalf of those claiming physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the
hospitals in the 1960s and 70s. A "fairly steady
trickle" of fresh claims were still coming in from people who had not
yet voiced their allegations of abuse. "Some are
Porirua-related, but quite a number of people had been in more than one
hospital. We suspect there are a lot more people still to come forward,"
he said. More than 70 claims
have been filed in the High Court and more are being prepared. Each seeks up
to $500,000 compensation and exemplary damages approaching $50,000. Many claimants say they
were subjected to bouts of electro-convulsive therapy as punishment, often
without anaesthetic. Others claim physical torture, over-medication and
sexual abuse. Mr Chapman said he
hoped to negotiate an out-of-court settlement with Crown lawyers. His clients
were not keen to relive their traumatic experiences in court, and there were
strong reasons for both sides to settle out of court. The process was likely
to take years, he said. |
