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Allegations
of Abuse in Institutions |
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An Australian medical
authority has begun interviewing former Lake Alice Hospital patients, over
their claims that they were mistreated under the regime of psychiatrist Dr
Selwyn Leeks. The Medical
Practitioners Board of Victoria is preparing for a formal hearing into the
allegations against Dr Leeks, who headed the child and adolescent unit of the
hospital near Wanganui. Former patients, aged 8
to 16 when at the unit, were subjected a form of behaviour-modification
treatment that a report by retired judge Sir Rodney Gallen labelled a regime
of "terror". They told Sir Rodney
they were punished for misbehaviour by electric shock therapy without
anaesthetic or muscle relaxant, solitary confinement and painful injections
of paraldehyde. Some alleged they were sexually abused by staff or patients. The medical board's
lawyers have contacted former patients of the unit, which operated from 1972
to 1977, when Dr Leeks left. He has since practised psychiatry in Melbourne. "They have
interviewed New Zealand victims," said Steve Green, executive director
of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a psychiatric patients support
group. "They are also
interviewing ex-staff. They have managed to track down a few of them. We have
been assisting as much as we can." Dr Leeks, invited by
the Herald to speak about his time at Lake Alice, said from Melbourne
yesterday: "I think that's been given a lot of coverage, not altogether
accurate." Asked how he would like
to correct that, he said: "That's unlikely to happen, but that's
all," and hung up. The medical board,
whose mandate is to protect the public, believes it has jurisdiction to
investigate the New Zealand events. It could prevent Dr Leeks from practising
medicine. Former patient Paul Zentveld
welcomed the decision to hold a formal hearing, for which no date has yet
been set. "They are finally doing something that the New Zealand
Government should have done 28 years ago. It should not be the Australians'
problem." Mr Green said that although
the Government had apologised to former patients and paid compensation,
former staff who mistreated patients had not been held responsible. The Government paid
$10.7 million to 183 former patients based on Sir Rodney's report. He read
their statements and interviewed a number, but did not hear from ex-staff -
concluding that the former patients' accounts were mostly true. Twenty former patients
have complained to police that their mistreatment amounted to crimes of
assault and cruelty against children. Mr Green said police
were taking too long to decide whether to lay charges and seek Dr Leeks'
extradition. Police have said their investigation is taking a long time
because the events happened so long ago. |
