[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Support for Apology to Neglected Willow Court Children Call_C O'Connor MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

GREENS PLEDGE TO WORK TOWARDS FORMAL APOLOGY TO CHILDREN ABUSED AND
NEGLECTED IN WILLOW COURT

And To Signal To Future Tasmanian Governments That It Cannot Happen
Again

Cassy O'Connor MP
Greens Shadow Health and Human Services spokesperson

Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens strongly support and will work towards a formal
Parliamentary apology to children abused and neglected in Willow Court
before its closure in 2000.

Greens Shadow Health and Human Services spokesperson, Cassy O'Connor,
said the call by National Disability Services (Tasmania) for Parliament
to make a formal apology to Tasmanians who spent their childhood in the
New Norfolk Mental Hospital - known over time as Lachlan Park, Royal
Derwent and Willow Court - should attract cross-party support.

"Between the 1960s, and when Willow Court was closed in 2000, children
with disabilities were shockingly abused and neglected in State care.
As part of a sustained, systemic culture of abuse, they suffered out of
sight and out of mind of the wider community," Ms O'Connor said.  

"As Tasmanians, we owe these people an unreserved and tripartite apology
on behalf of the people of Tasmania."  

"We cannot change the past, but we can go some way towards righting its
wrongs.  We can demonstrate our care and concern for these traumatised
Tasmanians and give a commitment in 2008 that we will do all in our
power to make sure such shocking human rights abuses do not happen in
Tasmania again."

"As part of this apology, we must also recognise that the State is
responsible for the care and wellbeing of people living with
disabilities and mental illness.  While the government is outsourcing
support for Tasmanians living with disabilities and mental illness to
the non-government sector, it cannot outsource ultimate responsibility."

"The NDS submission to the Bartlett Government makes distressing
reading, and of course it only scratches the surface.  It states,
"Beatings and denials of food were apparently regarded by some staff as
standard treatment of vulnerable children and teenagers, many of whom
did not have the capacity or awareness to manage aspects of their
behaviours.  It was not unusual for children to be punched, pushed,
slapped, shaken and verbally abused as part of their daily routine." [i]

"Deinstitutionalisation was absolutely the right approach, but there are
questions over the provision of ongoing support."

"Important steps have been taken to recognise injustices inflicted on
vulnerable Tasmanians in the past, but we can do more."

"The Greens also strongly support the NDS recommendation that a
Parliamentary Select Committee be established to investigate the legal
status of this group of former wards, and use the recognition of this
tragic period of institutionalisation to develop policies which protect
the human rights of all Tasmanians living with disabilities," Ms
O'Connor said.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

[i] Reynolds, M., Submission to the Department of Health and Human
Services, "Former Wards of the State Abuse in State Care", National
Disability Services (Tas), July 2008,. P. 3



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