Call for College of Psychiatrists to issue apology to Lake Alice abuse survivors

A group monitoring the work of the Abuse in Care inquiry is calling on the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) to apologise to survivors of abuse at Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit in the 1970s.

The Royal Commission Forum says the College colluded and was complicit in the abuse of children at the unit, which was run by psychiatrist, Dr Selwyn Leeks.

Children in the unit were subjected to many forms of abuse, including the use of electroconvulsive therapy and drugs as a punishment.

Forum spokesperson Dr Oliver Sutherland said the college knew what was going on because he spoke to its annual meeting about it in 1977.

He said the college had neglected to raise concerns about the abuse despite being aware of it for the last 50 years. Read more

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News category: New Zealand, News Shorts.

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