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MAF Rural Bulletin
October 2004
Former Patient Abuse Claims Rising
The number of claims alleging
abuse and mistreatment at psychiatric hospitals during the 1960s and 1970s is
continuing to climb. The Crown Law Office says there are now 77 individual
claims from former patients, many of them relating to Porirua Hospital.
A lawyer who represents
a group of former patients says talks with the Crown on an out-of-court deal
for them have already begun. The spokesperson said many former patients do
not want to re-live their traumatic experiences in court and issues of
responsibility cannot be addressed through litigation. The government says it
is still developing alternative options for those former patients who want to
avoid court cases.
Thanks to "NewsRoom"
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