Karilyn Wildbore, centre, with partner Carl Lee and daughter Stacey Daymond-Wildbore. Photo: RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham
Survivors of abuse in state care say suggestions they could face delays in receiving redress are an insult.
The idea was raised in a briefing for the incoming minister for the public service Andrew Little, who replaces Chris Hipkins in the role.
Officials said they were not recommending that course of action, but two former patients of Lake Alice psychiatric hospital's child and adolescent unit - including Karilyn Wildbore - weren't happy it was even mentioned.
Wildbore was sent to the unit, where patients were punished with electric shock therapy and given painful paralysing drugs, under the watch of lead psychiatrist Dr Selwyn Leeks.
She was just 12 and 13 when she was there in 1974 and 1975.
She has never spoken out before, but felt compelled to now, while survivors of the abuse continue to wait for redress and compensation.
"Nobody has ever wanted to listen to us," she said.
"That's our reason for being here - the fact of people who have already passed away, the ones who have committed suicide, and the fact that they have never had a voice.
"That's why I'm here. I'm their voice. That voice is saying 'don't forget about us'."
It is almost two years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State Care hearing into Lake Alice.
Still, neither an apology to former patients, nor redress, have happened. A system for designing this is being developed.
Last week RNZ revealed that in a briefing to Little, officials raised the possibility of deferring decisions on design proposals for redress until after this year's election.
"Decisions on high-level design proposals could, alternatively, be deferred for consideration by the next administration," the briefing said.
"This would create more time for the development and consideration of high-level design proposals and allow some of the Crown Response's forecast costs to be shifted into the next financial year."
The briefing also said such a move could cause distress for some survivors, and attract criticism from them and their advocates.
RNZ sought an interview with Little this week, and was sent the statement he released last week.
"The work on redress for survivors of abuse in care remains a high priority for government and is continuing at pace.
"The Royal Commission is yet to complete its full work programme. I have not sought advice on re-prioritising the work, nor have I discussed this possibility with ministerial colleagues."
Karilyn Wildbore says she feels like nobody is standing up for former patients of Lake Alice's child and adolescent unit. Photo: RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham
Wildbore was upset officials would even suggest it.
"It's just, 'I don't want to deal with it. We'll push it out'. Until it's going to come to the end where none of us are alive and our kids will have to try and force this to happen."
That's not something Wildbore wanted to see.
The 61-year-old from Levin, has lived with the stigma of association with the Lake Alice unit - although she and many others there had no mental illness - and said it had an effect on her family, and her parenting.
"People look at you and go, 'You must have mental issues.' Hey, I've got the stamp on my hand to say, no I don't.
"The fact is people don't see our generation as being important because we're old now. They don't care."
Wildbore said the trauma of having to relive what happened to her was taking a toll.
She had a tough past two years through making a statement to the Royal Commission about her time at Lake Alice, the death of her mother, and involvement in a court case about historical crimes.
"I thought I had issues. Boy, have I got them now. I'm on ACC at the moment because of the fact of chronic PTSD [and] some form of depression because of the sheer fact of having to deal with this, all the time."
The Royal Commission's report into the Lake Alice unit recognised that torture was carried out.
Former patients Paul Zentveld and Malcolm Richards also had findings in their favour, from when they complained to the UN Committee Against Torture.
Given that, Zentveld was unhappy that officials raised the possibility of delaying redress, and said compensation should happen as soon as possible.
"They've got to stop looking for options to try to get out of it. It's been proven, so pay for your crimes.
"Pay for your crimes and stop using delusion tactics and think people are going to like it. They're not," he said.
"Stop being so mean and grow up."
The Crown Response Unit to the Royal Commission said the briefing did not recommend deferring redress design work.
"On the contrary, the Crown Response has a singular focus on progressing the new system development at pace, in line with the expectations of survivors," a statement said.
"As is clearly stated in the [briefing], the possibility of slowing the work was only offered in light of the focus on reprioritising initiatives across the wider public sector following the change in leadership.
"We regret that some survivors have gained a misleading impression on this following last week's media coverage."
