Institutional Child Abuse - Apologising for Serious Wrongdoing

From the Government of Canada

Institutional Child Abuse

This paper was prepared for the Law Commission of Canada under the title Apologising for Serious Wrongdoing: Social, Psychological and Legal Considerations. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission. The accuracy of the information contained in the paper is the sole responsibility of the author.
Ce document est également disponible en français sous le titre La présentation d'excuses relatives à une faute grave: considérations sociales, psychologiques et juridiques.

Apologising for Serious Wrongdoing: Social, Psychological and Legal Considerations


Susan Alter
Researcher, Law Commission of Canada

Final Report for the
Law Commission of Canada

May 1999



TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Outlining the Issues
II. Why Apologies are Necessary
III. Two Kinds of Apologies Requested in Cases of Abuse
IV. What Goes Into Making a Meaningful Apology?

Link

Mad People's History: Professor Geoffrey Reaume

Disability historian explores 'mad' people's history
Not until he was 27 did Geoffrey Reaume come out of the closet. The York critical disabilities and health ethics professor, now 44, disclosed to his thesis supervisor that he had been in a psychiatric hospital during his teens. It added credence to his proposal to do a PhD on life in a Toronto asylum – from the patients’ perspective.

Until Reaume came along, historians had documented life in asylums in Canada based solely on doctors’ points of view. Doctors’ accounts of patients "were grossly stereotypical," says Reaume, who also took offence at fellow historians who dismissed patients’ accounts of their asylum experience as rambling and semi-literate, who ignored their humanity. "It was insulting to call them that when they were just trying to express themselves," says the Faculty of Health professor. "That’s why I felt it was important to tell their stories."

He applied under the Freedom of Information Act for access to patients’ records at the Toronto Hospital for the Insane between 1870 and 1940. As he combed the medical files, he began unearthing the authentic voices of "mad" patients from snatches of conversation doctors and nurses had recorded in their notes, and patients’ letters confiscated by asylum staff. Gradually, he formed a picture of what daily life in an asylum was like from patients’ points of view. It was groundbreaking research and Oxford University Press Canada published his PhD thesis as a book, Remembrance of Patients Past: Patient Life at the Toronto Hospital for the Insane, 1870-1940, in 2000.

- Excerpt from article - York U.


Photo - Professor Geoffrey Reaume
Listen to an interview here
Chapter from one of his books
Psychiatric Survivor Archives of Toronto
The Secret Handshake group (schizophrenia)
Mad Pride Week
Mad Pride Toronto

The mentally ill are victimized - MIND UK

Image after Kienholz. "The State Hospital"

The Mentally Ill Are Victimised

Psychiatric wards are "like pool halls...riddled with illicit drug use, bullying, and sometimes sexual intimidation". Nick Bowles, Bradford University School of Health Studies (Brindle, 2001).

"A 74-year-old was forced to have sex...in the mental health unit at Yardley Green Hospital, Birmingham...A male nurse...was charged with rape and sexual assault...but cleared of both charges. Prosecution and defence admitted the woman had been raped -but there was not enough evidence for a conviction. She died shortly afterwards." (Craven, N, and Merrick, J, 2006).

"The National Patient Safety Agency said there were at least 19 rapes of mental health patients in England, and more than 100 other improper sexual incidents in psychiatric units over the last two years...Eleven of the rapes were alleged to been by NHS staff, but the agency did not disclose whether staff were also involved in 20 cases of consensual sex, three unwanted pregnancies, and allegations of exposure, sexual advances and touching". (Carvel, J, Hall, S and Boseley, S, 2006).

"Patients were slapped, hit, stamped on, starved, kicked and taunted, a hospital trust admits" (Camber 2004).

"Essentially, if you are a mental patient, staff have a licence to assault you, and you have no protection whatsoever" (Justin Horton 2001).

"Low in the pecking order, it is tempting for nurses to vent frustrations on those even lower" (Nursing Times 1997).

"Institutions give inadequate people what they want - power ...many...people are inadequate and unfulfilled and they lust for power and control" (John Vaizey 1959).

"Both male and female bullies are drawn to the caring professions because of the opportunities for power and control over vulnerable clients" Tim Field (Feinmann, 2001).

"Patients detained in psychiatric hospitals are being denied basic human rights...according to the independent watchdog for mental health services" (Guardian 2001).

"Mind-melting drugs are still routinely administered to meet the needs of staff..." Christopher Barber, RCN Ethics Forum (Carvel, 2002).

"...drugs have become used more widely for sedating 'troublesome' residents..." (Matthew Akid 2002).

"...half of the cases of restraints in mental health are carried out in order to enforce medication..." (Mulholland, 2004).

"...up to 22,233 elderly nursing home residents are being given powerful anti-psychotics without medical grounds." (BBC 2003).

"...research found...an estimated 200 psychiatric patients died suddenly and unexpectedly each year in England...causes include... inappropriate restraint methods and high doses of medication" (Community Care 2000).

"There are so many rapes in children's and residential homes and psychiatric institutions because rapists know they can get away with it there" Harriet Wistrich -Solicitor (Taylor, 2001).

MIND's document on how the mentally ill are victimized continues here.