30 Jun 2021

Royal Commission into Abuse in Care: Investigation into Lake Alice concludes

From Morning Report, 7:51 am on 30 June 2021

The Abuse in Care inquiry looking at abuse of young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital in the 1970s, has concluded with one survivor saying the darkness and shame carried by all survivors has begun to lift in the light of exposing the truth.

Over 300 young people went through the child and adolescent unit between 1972 and 78 and many were abused, sexually and physically, often with electric shock treatment and painful drugs, such as paraldehyde.

Those who have made submissions to the Royal Commission identified the unit's lead psychiatrist, Selwyn Leeks and his team, as responsible for the abuse, which survivors deemed as torture.

Andrew McRae reports.