Survivors of the abuse and torture at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital in the 1970s have rejected an apology from the Royal Australia New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP).
The apology was meant to address the suffering endured by vulnerable children in the hospital’s adolescent unit, where they were subjected to drugging, electric shocks, and physical and sexual assaults.
However, for many survivors, the apology was seen as insufficient and hollow, with some describing it as ‘waste of breath’ and ‘bull****.’
Despite the RANZCP’s acknowledgment of the survivors’ suffering and the failure of multiple agencies to protect them, the survivors are still seeking justice and proper compensation, according to a report in legacy media outlet Newshub.
Victims told media of their frustration over the lack of accountability, especially since Selwyn Leeks, the head of the unit responsible for much of the abuse, died in 2022 without facing charges.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry’s findings highlighted the extreme neglect and abuse at Lake Alice, with a final report and recommendations expected to be presented to the Government soon.
For the survivors, most of whom are now in their 60s, the delayed and inadequate response to their decades-long quest for recognition and justice added to their trauma.
Image credit: Stefano Pollio
This needs to be sorted like yesterday. Those affected need justice now.
‘Sorry for torturing you. Our bad. But hey these things happen, don’t worry about it, let’s just move on’
Hmm, that’s never really going to work is it.