POLICE TOLD TO HURRY UP ON INVESTIGATION INTO PSYCHIATRIST

NZ Herald August 2 2004 by Martin Johnston The police are taking too long to investigate criminal complaints against psychiatrist Selwyn Leeks, say supporters of patients behind the claims. On Saturday, the Weekend Herald revealed that the Government had paid a further $4.2 million in compensation to former psychiatric patients at Lake Alice Hospital, in addition to the $6.5 million paid to 95 others in 2001. But more than 30 former Lake Alice patients are still waiting after two years for police to decide whether to prosecute former staff, including Dr Leeks. Three years ago, the Government began compensating and apologising to numerous former patients of Lake Alice Hospital's child and adolescent unit who claimed they were tortured and sexually abused. The unit closed in 1978. The scale of their mistreatment at the hospital near Wanganui was unveiled in a report for the Government by retired High Court judge Sir Rodney Gallen. The document revealed allegations of electric-shock therapy being used to punish children, youngsters being locked away with insane adult patients, sexual abuse and painful injections of paraldehyde, a sedative-hypnotic drug. "I am satisfied that in the main the allegations which have been made are true and reveal an appalling situation," Sir Rodney wrote. More than 30 complaints have subsequently been sent to police by Christchurch lawyer Grant Cameron and the Citizens Commission on Human Rights. "The police have taken too long," said commission director Steve Green. Justice was being delayed for the former patients. Mr Cameron, a former police constable, also criticised the hold-up, saying: "I don't think the reasons for the delay have been adequately explained to the complainants. " ... I wouldn't have expected it to take more than a year to resolve." He believes there is a viable case that Dr Leeks committed either assault on a child or cruelty to children, offences under the Crimes Act. Police national headquarters spokesman Jon Neilson says the question of whether to prosecute is still under investigation and could be for some time. "It won't be an early result. "The difficulty is around the historical nature of the incidents and the complaints so that is taking a lot longer than we would expect." Dr Leeks, in his 70s, is no longer registered as a doctor in NZ but practises in Australia, where he is under investigation by a medical authority. The Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria, which has the power to strike him off the state medical register, is investigating a number of complaints about his work in New Zealand. It is also conducting a preliminary investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving a former female patient he treated in Melbourne. Dr Leeks could not be reached at his Melbourne clinic, but in 2001 he told the Herald that treatment at Lake Alice had been grossly misrepresented. "Aversion therapy - as it was given, not as it is said it was given - was fairly effective ... For the ones who are complaining, it obviously didn't last."  Allegations surrounding Lake Alice Hospital Electric-shock therapy was given without anaesthetic as a punishment. Youngsters were locked away with insane adult patients. Rape and other sexual abuse. Paraldehyde, a sedative-hypnotic drug, injected as a punishment.