In a third investigation into allegations of abuse in the North Island Unit in the 1970s, police found 136 ex-patients who were so shocked.
Of these, 63 were interviewed and 37 declined. 31 people died and 5 were not found.
A recent police investigation has led to allegations of child abuse against 90-year-old John Richard Cochran, a former employee. He pleaded not guilty and opted for a jury trial.
Police had enough evidence to prosecute them late last year, but two other officials at the Langitikei facility, including former psychiatrist Dr. Selwin Leaks, who died earlier this year, are not on trial. Was considered to be.
New information about the investigation was revealed in a UN Commission decision against torture. And it urged the government to indemnify former unit patient Malcolm Richards.
Richards was not included in the plaintiffs at the Cochrane Prosecutor’s Office.
A recent police investigation was conducted after the Commission discovered that another ex-patient, Paul Zentfeld, was being tortured there. It urged authorities to investigate promptly.
No charges were filed after the 1970s and previous police investigations from 2002 to 2010.
At the Royal Commission on Abuse in National Care last year, police apologized for the latter shortcomings.
The Commission’s Richards ruling said the latest police investigation began with a review of previous investigations before moving on to three stages.
“To ensure independence and impartiality in this exercise, police officers previously involved in the investigation into Lake Alice were not used in this investigation.”
The first phase reviewed the previously collected statements. Second, police conducted an interview and analyzed the evidence.
The statements that form part of the civil proceedings against the government in the early 2000s were reviewed in the same way as statements submitted to other agencies such as the Medical Council.
From the statement, police identified 13 ex-patients as genital shocks or punishments and interviewed 6 of them. Four died and three refused to talk.
“Police conducted these interviews using detectives specially trained in sensitive personal crime evidence interviews to ensure that allegations were recorded more formally and comprehensively.”
Later, hospitals and other records were used to find more patients who were abused in this way.
Police have decided not to contact people who were not involved in previous investigations, including non-police investigations and civil lawsuits, so as not to hurt them.
They thought they could move forward by publishing the survey. Three ex-patients did.
The third stage of the survey focused on green onions and other staff as interested people.
There were 66 ex-workers identified in the survey. 37 people died. Fifteen people were interviewed and two were approached. But it wasn’t enough to talk.
Police sought advice from lawyers on whether the criteria for prosecution of former employees who allegedly committed illegal activities were met and whether it was possible to hand over green onions from Australia, which moved in the late 1970s.
An independent QC reviewed the Crown Solicitor’s advice.