Hon Erica Stanford
Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission’s Report into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions
Hon Matt Doocey
Minister of Mental Health

The coalition Government is urgently making financial assistance available for survivors of the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit) who are terminally ill.

On 24 July, the Government formally acknowledged some children and young people at the Hospital experienced torture. The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care’s final report found that most of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit between 1972 and 1978 did not have any form of mental illness.

“Lake Alice survivors have informed us there are a small number of their group who are expected to only have a short time left to live. That’s why Cabinet has agreed to make a rapid payment of $20,000 available for terminally ill survivors,” Minister responsible for coordinating the Crown Response to the Abuse in Care Inquiry, Erica Stanford says.

“This is just the first step. We know many survivors of the unit have spent their lives in financial hardship and with significant health issues because of the ongoing impact of the torture and abuse they experienced.

“While we can never fully make redress for or right the harm survivors experienced, I can confirm the Government is also working at pace on a specific redress package for Lake Alice survivors to acknowledge the torture that took place,” Ms Stanford says.

The $20,000 rapid payment will be delivered through the Ministry of Health as it already operates a historic claims process for survivors of the Unit.

“The only supporting material needed to apply for the payment would be a letter from a medical professional confirming a terminal diagnosis and prognosis of six-months or less,” Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says.

“It is deeply saddening that young people in Lake Alice, who should have been safe there, were subject to mistreatment and torture. Any harm, and especially any abuse as result of trust placed in government institutions, is unacceptable.”

Note:

• Eligible survivors are persons who were 17 years old or under and placed in the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit between 1972 and 1977. These are survivors who were eligible to claim as part of the Government’s existing Lake Alice settlement process.
• If a survivor were to die after making an application but before a payment is provided, the payment will be made to the Executor or Administrator of the survivor’s estate, as is the case with existing claims processes.
• The payment will be tax-free and will not affect the recipient’s benefit status or other entitlements.
• To apply for the payment, eligible survivors need to contact the Ministry of Health:

email: healthlegalexecutiveassistant@health.govt.nz
call: (04) 4962000
write: The Historic Abuse Resolution Service, Postal - Health Legal, Ministry of Health, PO Box 5013, Wellington 6145

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