New Zealand Apologizes: Acknowledging Past Abuses at State Psychiatric Hospital

New Zealand will compensate children abused at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital in the 1970s and provide a formal apology. An inquiry found 362 children underwent unmodified electroconvulsive therapy as a form of abuse. Survivors will receive a payment and access to support services from an NZ$22.68 million fund.

New Zealand's government has announced plans to compensate children abused during the 1970s at the state-run Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital. The announcement follows an inquiry revealing that 362 children endured unmodified electroconvulsive therapy and other inappropriate treatments as punishment or emotional control.

Erica Stanford, leading the government's response, emphasized that while nothing can fully redress the torture experienced, survivors would receive a one-time payment, an apology acknowledging the torture, and access to support services. The compensation will see eligible individuals receiving a payment of NZ$150,000 or more determined by an independent arbiter.

The government has allocated NZ$22.68 million for this compensation. Despite acknowledging survivor disappointment due to the amount, Stanford assured the decision is independent of any future redress for abuse in care. The broader inquiry highlighted systemic abuse affecting 200,000 individuals, particularly vulnerable groups, over nearly seven decades.

(With inputs from agencies.)