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Uncovering the Truth
Publics view on Lake Alice abuse

It is time to get the message out there. While some of the victims of lake alice have received minor pay outs, there has still been no justice for the children of Lake Alice.

So what happened?

It all started back in 1997 when a ex patients brother said to him we need to do something about the terrible things that happened to you in that place and I believe the brother who is a lawyer took on the case. But as time went by it got to big for him and he contacted Grant Cameron Asst.

To sum things up in 2001 Helen Clark sent a letter to the patients to say 'Sorry'! I must say the letter is pretty pathetic.

Who received payouts?  Out of about 300, 150 did. These were ONLY people who where in the adolescent unit during the dates of 1972- 1978, the unit closed in 1978. not all ex patients wanted to be involved in the court case therefore have not received any money.

This is not to say that other patients in LA during those dates did not receive ECT or where sexually abused. It is very hypocritical of the NZ government to pay out money to patients for a medical treatment that is still practiced today and causes serious long term damage to the muscles and brain while also burn's the tissue, to name a few side affects. Guess they don't think so huh!

The government said they first put aside $100 Million for the Lake Alice compensation. when the lawyer Grant Cameron decided to do a out of court settlement with the government this meant the patients would receive less money and lawyers would still cash in large.

BREAK DOWN                                          

Depending on the time & abuse you spent in LA was how much
money you would receive,

Example
This seemed to be the trend =
> 6 months, $40,000 (atleast 4 people who received this amount)
> Year plus, 120k-$130,000 (2 people I have spoken to received this figure)

These figures EXCLUDE lawyers fees
which for a payout of $130,000 were around $50,000
Grant Cameron made over $2 Million for there 'effort' not bad considering they settled out of court so they could get the better deal.

ECT     explained

ECT involves passing an electrical current through the brain for a short period of time over several sessions. It sends the patient into convulsions and muscle relaxants are often administered prior to treatment.

Originally developed as a treatment for schizophrenia in 1938, ECT was found to be ineffective in reducing psychotic symptoms. It is now used exclusively as a treatment for severe depression for which it has been found to be effective, and is usually only administered when drug treatment has failed.

The exact mode of action of ECT is uncertain. However, the most plausible account of ECT's effectiveness is that it produces various biochemical changes in the brain, which are greater than those produced by anti-depressant drugs. Since many physiological changes occur when ECT is administered it is difficult to establish which of these are significant. It is likely that the neurotransmitters noradrenaline and adrenaline are affected as research indicates these are strongly implicated in the disorder.

Source: Making the Modern World UK

The New Zealand Ministry of Healths website defines Electroconvulsive therapy as:

Treatment used mainly for severe depressive episodes. It involves the passage of an electric current across the head of a person to produce a convulsion. The treatment is painless, as the individual is given general anaesthetic and muscle relaxant before and during ECT. It is used when antidepressant medication has not been effective, the severity of symptoms means it is not possible to wait for the effects of such medication to become apparent, or the side-effects to or risks associated with medication make ECT the most appropriate treatment option.

There ''Independent review'' of ECT:


The independent review of the medical evidence for ECT concluded that its use is appropriate for treating some serious mental disorders, and banning its use would deprive some seriously ill patients of a potentially effective and sometimes lifesaving means of treatment. The review group considered the current regulatory controls for ECT needed to change. They recommend that where possible ECT use should only be administered with the patient’s consent, noting that patients should be able to refuse treatment in advance when regarded as competent to make this decision.

This is a treatment still used today in New Zealand.

9 Years on and Legal fees still owing!

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Kevin Banks paid more then Fifty thousand dollars in legal fees to Grant Cameron associates in 2001 when the Children of Lake Alice took the Crown to court which the former Lake Alice patients won. Mr Banks walked out of court with $131,000 but $52,000 of that had to go towards paying legal fees,  but then around 2 years later a second round of claimants who were patients during the same period took the Crown to court and were compensated although this time the Crown said they would pay the legal fees for all the patients in the second round, making the first round & Mr Banks out of pocket for some 50k!

Mr Banks wasn't the only person to receive 'compensation' or ex gratia payment as the courts called it. 95 other patients of the Child and Adolescent unit did aswell. While I am unsure what each person received in payment they no doubt paid an extravagant sum of fees as some people spent 6 months to years in Lake Alice.

It is now up for the government to do the right thing as they have said they would by the second round and pay back the first rounds fees and let the first round live on there life letting Lake Alice being a distance memory of the past.

Government abandonment against appeals decision on Patients case

Ex-patient Paul Zentveld overwhelming evidence shows the government willingness to not pay the remaining 30% compensation and legal fees that is still owed. From the second round of claimants the government held back around 30% of each patients money to try and match up with the first round’s legal fees. The first round claimants paid $30-53 thousand dollars fees to Grant Cameron & associates. 

Mr Zentveld paved the way for other patients whom had been mislead by the Labour government and now the crown are prepared to offer a ex-Gratia to the second round claimants
As it stands second round claimants paid no legal fees and first round paid massive legal fees.

Check out the relating document below which helped Paul win his with held compensation in court.

Letters from the Government
Since Nationals win in Government we have asked them for there response on the Lake Alice compensation and justice. National has sent the letter below to us, not very promising.

December 09 update.

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Wow this one took me by surprise, a letter of recommendation from MP Tau Henare Chairman of Maori affairs select committee. Pledging his support for the government to get the Lake Alice case sorted. Sadly Jonathan Coleman the Feigning man he is present's yet another repetitive response have you no shame Coleman? I have been given Mr Henares letter to government and there response so take a look below it just shows how easily in this country politics sweep things under the rug, to deal with the Lake Alice claims would mean that they were WRONG and there are abusive people who still work or worked within our health system.

SHAME ON YOU COLEMAN FOR USING LA... How about a dose of ECT FOR HIM!

November 09.

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Comments from past patient Kevin Banks: "The incidences at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital has clearly been proven and documented as the worse case of child cruelty in New Zealand history, and yet the government of today still choose to duck behind walls of complexities and not involve themselves in the police investigation-35 years later. The denial of justice almost equals the abuse. Ask any survivor from that hell hole who lives with severe post traumatic stress as of it today."

Letters from the Government
June 09 Update.

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Please note those opinions expressed on Lakealicehospital.com are not those of the Ministry of Health or the New Zealand government.