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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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Otago Daily Times
March 13, 2002

More ex-Porirua patients claim abuse
NZPA

Wellington: The list of former Porirua Hospital patients who claim they were tortured and abused there as children in the 1960s and 1970s grew to about 25 yesterday.

A report on Monday detailing plans by a small group of former patients to sue the Crown over their treatment had prompted a flood of calls, Wellington lawyer Sonja Cooper said.

Ms Cooper and Nelson-based lawyer Jane Hunter are acting for the patients, who allege they were sexually, physically and emotionally abused, subjected to electro-convulsive treatment (ECT) - sometimes without anaesthetic - and given painful injections of the drug paraldehyde as a punishment.

"There are a lot of people out there who felt their treatment was inappropriate and abusive," Ms Hunter said.

"It's important that if people have a grievance, it is dealt with. It is good they have been able to come forward."

She expected more people would come forward now they knew they would have support.

Ms Cooper said almost all those who had telephoned had been child patients at the hospital during the 1960s or 1970s and had remarkably similar stories.

One man who contacted The Dominion newspaper said he had been a patient at Porirua when he was 15. He had suffered various forms of abuse and had been left permanently injured from the shock treatment, he said.

Another, a woman who had been admitted as an 11-year-old, said the revelations about other patients' treatment had brought back a flood of terrible memories. She felt it was time to hold someone accountable.

Ms Cooper and Ms Hunter planned to interview those who had contacted them soon.