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Allegations of Abuse
in Institutions |
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Two staff have been fired and a
third suspended after two alleged assaults on intellectually disabled
patients in a secure unit. Police are investigating one of
the alleged assaults at the Haumietiketike secure unit in Porirua. Capital
and Coast District Health Board is still doing its own investigation into the
second. The board's director of forensic,
rehabilitation and intellectual disability services Nigel Fairley said
Capital and Coast was "greatly dismayed" by the two incidents. Haumietiketike is a secure unit
for intellectually disabled people who have been involved with the courts and
have behaviour that poses a serious risk to themselves or others. It opened
in 2004. Mr Fairley said two staff members
were immediately suspended after allegedly assaulting a male patient in
February. They were later dismissed ter an internal investigation. The matter
was also referred to police. "This was a deeply
regrettable incident and we have apologised to this patient." Constable James Wichington, of
Porirua CIB, confirmed police were investigating a complaint. "We're
still continuing initial inquiries." Mr Fairley said that in the past
two weeks, Capital and Coast had received another complaint about a different
patient being assaulted. "This staff member was immediately suspended
and the incident is under investigation." The health board could not comment
further till the investigation was complete. It is understood the patients
suffered minor injuries. The 11-bed unit, on the grounds of
the former
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