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Allegations
of Abuse in Institutions |
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Former psychiatric
patients who say they were abused by hospital staff are angry at the
Government's refusal to hold a public inquiry. Attorney-General
Margaret Wilson yesterday announced plans to instead establish a non-public
forum to allow former patients, their families and hospital staff an avenue
to air their complaints and stories. The three-person panel,
headed by ombudsman and former District Court judge Arnand Satyanand, would
then "refer people to appropriate existing agencies -- such as ACC, the
Health and Disability Commissioner or police -- where necessary". The forum would be open
only to people admitted to hospital before 1992 and patients wanting
compensation would have to sue the government through the courts. "A court is the
best place to do this given the historic nature of claims, the issues of
credibility and the size of compensation sought," Ms Wilson said. However, Sonja Cooper,
one of the lawyers representing the patients, said the forum offered nothing
"except the opportunity for them to be retraumatised telling their
story". None were happy about
it. She and fellow lawyer
Roger Chapman had lodged High Court claims for about 85 former patients who
said they had been subjected to various physical and sexual abuses, including
being given electroconvulsive therapy without anaesthetic, given unnecessary
drugs and been beaten, mainly in 1960s and 1970s. More than 200 claims were
still to be filed. The claimants were
disappointed the Government had refused to follow the pattern set by the
inquiries set up to investigate similar abuses at "The Government
seems to be burying its head in the sand. It does not want to face the fact
that there was a culture of abuse in the 1960s and 1970s. It needs to set up
a programme for redress and compensation. "The question has
to be asked: `Why is this group being treated differently?' I have to wonder
if there is a strategy of disempowering these people so they are unable to go
forward and make a complaint. "These are the
most vulnerable part of our society and they are being condemned to a costly
and long process of litigation -- they will be hoping a lot won't be able to
handle it." Mr Chapman said the
cost of fighting the claims in court would be enormous. "Almost all of our
clients are legally aided, so the cost will fall on the taxpayer. We have
suggested ways to investigate and settle cases justly and economically, but
the Government has ignored what we said. "What's needed is a responsible and enlightened approach that addresses claimants' needs."
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