Allegations of Abuse in Institutions
	Psychiatric Hospitals: Home 2006 Index
	Manawatu Standard May 26 2006 Ex-Lake Alice boss in Oz sex inquiry by Anna Wallis Lake Alice's former head psychiatrist, who's facing charges in Australia on the use of electric-shock treatment and pain-inducing injections on children at the hospital, has also been accused of sexual misconduct by a Melbourne patient. Selwyn Leeks, who was in charge of Lake Alice's child and adolescent unit between 1972 and 1977, is being investigated by the Victorian Medical Practioners' Board over what happened in New Zealand. The adolescent unit closed in 1978. In 2001, Prime Minister Helen Clark apologised to 100 former patients for their treatment at Lake Alice, including the use of electric-shock treatment and pain-inducing injections. The government paid $10.7 million in compensation. Since leaving Lake Alice, Dr Leeks has been practising in Australia and Canada. He has been under investigation by the Victorian Medical Practioners' Board since July 2003. The board has yet to set a date for a hearing, but it is understood a preliminary hearing was held this week. Board spokeswoman Nicole Newton verified the investigation and told the Manawatu Standard no formal hearing date has been set, but proceedings may begin this year. "I certainly hope so." Melbourne journalist Bill Birnbauer, of The Age and The Sunday Age, has been following the case for five years. He said the other charges have been laid by a female former patient and relate to when Dr Leeks treated her for anxiety in 1979 and 1980. He said the board is also reviewing another 50 former patients' complaints of misconduct against Dr Leeks. Mr Birnbauer said the practitioners' board is taking a considerable time to investigate the matter and set a hearing for both the Lake Alice claims and the other complaints. "But at least it's doing something. The New Zealand medical authorities chose not to." In a story in The Sunday Age, he said the woman bringing the complaint told the paper Dr Leeks told her he was hounded by authorities in New Zealand. "He said the children he had treated were feral and psychotic and were future murderers and thieves. Society would realise one day that he was ahead of his time," the paper reported her as saying. The investigation before the practitioners' board is being conducted by Melbourne law firm Minter Ellison, but it referred inquiries by the Manawatu Standard back to the board. A criminal inquiry by the New Zealand police into what went on at Lake Alice is ongoing. The man in charge of the inquiry, Christchurch Detective Superintendent Malcolm Burgess, is on sick leave and could not be contacted. Steve Green, of mental health watchdog Citizens' Commission on Human Rights, said lawyers and other staff from Minter Ellison had been in New Zealand to gather information for the case. Mr Green said he understood a preliminary hearing into the charges against Dr Leeks had been heard by the board this week, though he did not know when the formal case would start. The group, established in New Zealand in 1976, has been one of the bodies driving further investigation of Lake Alice.