Ministry of Health and Whaikaha acknowledge historical abuse of disabled people, survivors expect apology and action
Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Abuse in Care disabled survivors and whānau members say they appreciate the Crown’s acknowledgement that disabled people were abused in state institutions, but believe there’s still a long way to go.
While he was encouraged by the acknowledgement from officials atthe Ministry of Health and Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People at the Royal Commission’s Institutional Response Hearing, disabled survivor Jonathan Mosen said it was only the “first step”.
“Many disabled people are waiting. As a survivor, I'm waiting to understand what the apology will look like, what redress looks like,” he said. “But having governments acknowledge in a formal way, by way of that testimony, the abuse that we've suffered, is progress.”
Margaret Priest, who was a witness at the disability hearing, alongside her sister, Irene, who was institutionalised as a child, said she was heartened that the Crown recognised that abuse occurred and that it cannot be justified.
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“Also the effects on the people [and] their families and also the acknowledgement of the loss of records, because it was quite big for me,” she said.
Royal commission counsel assist Ruth Thomas read historical evidence during the hearing that illustrated a “shameful picture of humanity”.
She read out a Department of Health memorandum note dated 1976 that described four children were in isolation for more than one year at Tokanui Hospital due to shigella, which is an infection that causes diarrhoea, fever, and stomach cramps.
Another letter to a chief nurse regarding the conditions at Templeton said communal combs were used on the children, toothbrushes were cleaned against each other and the same shared spoons were used to give out medication.
She also described residents arriving at the Kimberly Centre being able to speak, but leaving no longer able to talk.
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Dr Diana Sarfati, the director-general of health and Health Ministry chief executive, said the type of care that happened between 1950-1999 would not be acceptable today, and that disability and health standards of care have improved since then.
“Any form of abuse is completely unacceptable and a suite of measures have been implemented that should ensure that patients are much better and cared for appropriately,” she said.
Sarfati admitted there was still systemic institutional racism in the health and disability sector today, but there was a lot of effort and focus on addressing the issues that creates.
Also speaking at the hearing was Dr John Crawshaw, the Ministry of Health’s director mental health and addiction. He described being “personally vilified” when he tried to shut down Porirua Hospital as part of deinstitutionalisation in New Zealand.
He said historical abusive behaviours towards disabled people were 'criminal” – they should not have been acceptable back in the day or now.
Acting chief executive of Whaikaha Geraldine Woods said the state historically failed to consistently and meaningfully support the cultural needs of disabled people who were often disconnected from their culture, language and identity.
She acknowledged there has not been co-ordinated input from other agencies and the impact of the abuse and neglect is ongoing for survivors and whānau.
Whaikaha’s deputy chief executive operational design and support Amanda Bleckmann was disappointed to hear care providers in 2022 were wanting to group disabled people to live in the same home together for convenience.
She said Whaikaha wanted to improve disability support services.
“Yes, we will always get feedback there is insufficient respite,” she said, but there were many more options for care for disabled people now.
Despite Government acknowledgements, Mosen is still frustrated that disabled people are not being listened to if it doesn’t fit within the status quo.
“What I found is that there are certain institutions, where it doesn't matter how qualified you are to talk about the things that you talk about, if you are perceived to be someone who will not toe the party line, you are gaslighted, and that to me is a form of abuse.
“I'm not convinced that we are going to see real, genuine, systemic change. I think a lot of it is window dressing.”
Mosen said what it will take for that change is having a lot of disabled advocates sitting down with government officials and Whaikaha to provide constructive advice.
“They don't think our opinion is valued or wanted because it might go against the status quo,” he said.
“What I would immediately call for is some sort of senior disabled leaders taskforce that met with the government regularly to share our knowledge and wisdom.”
Priest said, despite a commitment from government agencies not to repeat the errors of the past, she had little confidence there was effective monitoring oversight and safeguarding mechanisms to ensure the safety of disabled people.
“I don't know how that's done,” she said. “And from my perspective, I think there's still a long way to go there.
In concluding statements at the hearing, both Woods and Sarfati reassured survivors and whānau, on behalf of the ministries they lead, that they will not walk away from the issues raised at the hearing.
Woods said Whaikaha is on a journey of transformational change to ensure that abuse will never happen again. She was brought to tears as she acknowledged and thanked disabled people for sharing their stories with the royal commission.
The hearing continues on Thursday with Education Ministry officials responding to the royal commission.