LOS ANGELES - Marylandian -- The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a leading international mental health watchdog, and survivors of the now-closed Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit in New Zealand have been honored with the prestigious New Zealand Community of the Year Award for their decades-long fight for justice and mental health reform.[1]   Presented through the Mitre 10-Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards, the honor recognizes individuals and organizations that significantly contribute to the social, economic, cultural, or environmental well-being of their communities.[2] CCHR and the Lake Alice survivors were recognized for their unwavering advocacy against human rights abuses in psychiatric institutions.

The award follows widespread international attention in 2024 after an official report confirmed the abuse at Lake Alice constituted torture. The New York Times reported that the atrocities included "sexual assault, electric shocks, chemical restraints, medical experimentation, sterilization, starvation, and beatings."[3]

CCHR first investigated Lake Alice Hospital in the early 1970s, uncovering widespread abuse of children and adolescents. The organization committed itself to exposing the truth, protecting victims, and demanding justice and compensation. In 2022, the New Zealand Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care recognized that CCHR "remained involved in advocating for survivors of the unit and bringing attention to what went on there."[4]

In a landmark legal development, New Zealand Solicitor-General Una Jagose determined that the "treatment" administered to children at Lake Alice met the legal definition of torture.[5]

Lake Alice survivor Bruce Harkness praised the organization's efforts:

"CCHR have dedicated themselves for decades to fight for this. They are the moralistic people that have got behind us and without them we would not be here today. They are true champions."

CCHR's Role in Exposing the Abuses

The award presentation recognized that:

"The former Lake Alice patients bravely fought for justice with steadfast support from the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (NZ), which first uncovered the ill-treatment in 1976. CCHR continued its advocacy, taking the matter before government agencies, health officials, and ultimately the United Nations Committee Against Torture."

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In 2020, the UN Committee Against Torture upheld CCHR's formal complaint and urged the New Zealand government to thoroughly investigate the matter. This led to formal agency inquiries and an independent Royal Commission, both confirming that the abuse amounted to torture.

CCHR continued to fight for nearly 50 years to expose the crimes committed at Lake Alice and bring justice to its victims. In the presentation of the award, it was stated:

The former Lake Alice patients bravely fought for justice with steadfast support from the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (NZ), which first uncovered the ill-treatment in 1976. CCHR continued its advocacy, taking the matter before government agencies, health officials, and ultimately the United Nations Committee Against Torture. In a landmark decision the UN Committee upheld their formal complaint in 2020 urging the New Zealand government to properly investigate what took place at Lake Alice.

In 2020, the United Nations upheld CCHR's formal complaint and urged the New Zealand government to conduct a thorough investigation. This resulted in inquiries by the New Zealand Police and the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, which concluded that the abuses at Lake Alice amounted to torture.

"The ongoing courage and commitment displayed by the survivors and CCHR—led by director Mike Ferriss and researcher Victor Boyd—has resulted in real impact, ensuring survivor voices are finally heard, paving the way for systemic change and accountability." [6]

As a result of CCHR's advocacy and the survivors' perseverance, the New Zealand government finally acknowledged the harm endured by victims. The award judges noted: The Crown prosecutor's office has since reimbursed survivors for the abuse they suffered.[7]

Recognition from New Zealand Leaders

During the Royal Commission hearings (2022-2024), Chair Judge Coral Shaw praised CCHR for its dedication:

"CCHR has gone to extraordinary efforts since the 1970s to keep this flame alive on behalf of survivors. It's been an extraordinary effort."[8]

Royal Commissioner Paul Gibson added:

We acknowledged CCHR's role in uncovering the truth about Lake Alice in the 1970s and its ongoing advocacy, including taking the matter to the UN. Their extensive evidence is impressive, and we thank them for their tenacity and endurance.[9]

Prime Minister's Apology to Survivors

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addressed survivors last year, stating:

"The State was supposed to care for you, but instead, many of you were subjected to the most horrendous physical, emotional, mental, and sexual abuse."

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"People in positions of authority—whom you should have been able to trust—failed you in the worst possible way. When you tried to speak up, those same people turned a blind eye, covered it up, and prevented you from seeking justice for far too long."

A Global Call for Reform

The Royal Commission called for a ban on all forms of inhumane treatment in psychiatric and state-run institutions.[10]

Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International, emphasized the global relevance of this decision: "These recommendations don't just apply to New Zealand. They apply to the U.S. and worldwide. There is no place for electroshock treatment in any healthcare system. It must be banned."

She said, "The New Zealand Community of the Year Award is a monumental recognition of the decades of advocacy by CCHR and the Lake Alice survivors. It underscores the importance of justice, accountability, and systemic reform to protect future generations from similar abuses."

About CCHR:

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) is a global watchdog dedicated to exposing psychiatric abuses and ensuring the protection of human rights in mental health care. Founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and professor of psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Szasz, CCHR has been instrumental in reforming laws, shutting down abusive psychiatric facilities, and advocating for the rights of mental health patients worldwide.

Sources:

[1] Lake Alice Survivors and the Citizens Commission on Human Rights New Zealand
New Zealand Community of the Year, nzawards.org.nz/winners/lake-alice-survivors-and-the-citizens-commission-on-human-rights-new-zealand/

[2] nzawards.org.nz/winners/kindness-collective/

[3] www.cchrint.org/2024/07/26/new-zealand-inquiry-findings-child-psychiatric-torture-prompt-us-reforms/; www.nytimes.com/2024/07/24/world/asia/new-zealand-abuse-in-care-report.html; nzawards.org.nz/nomination/lake-alice-survivors-and-mike-ferris/

[4] www.cchrint.org/2022/12/30/lake-alice-psychiatric-hospital-children-were-tortured/

[5] www.cchrint.org/2022/12/30/lake-alice-psychiatric-hospital-children-were-tortured/; www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/royal-commission-of-inquiry-into-state-care-finds-lake-alice-children-were-tortured/ZB3EVQL765ATLMDKSX6XHSTXEA/

[6] www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360619822/real-impact-lake-alice-survivors-win-nzer-year-awards; nzawards.org.nz/nomination/lake-alice-survivors-and-mike-ferris/

[7] www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360619822/real-impact-lake-alice-survivors-win-nzer-year-awards; nzawards.org.nz/nomination/lake-alice-survivors-and-mike-ferris/

[8] www.cchrint.org/2021/07/01/cchrs-work-acknowledged-nz-inquiry-lake-alice-psychiatric-child-torture/

[9] www.cchrint.org/2022/07/11/cchr-praised-for-47-years-of-exposing-psychiatric-abuses-in-new-zealand/

[10] www.1news.co.nz/2024/07/24/horrific-and-harrowing-parliament-responds-to-abuse-in-care-report/; www.cchrint.org/2024/07/26/new-zealand-inquiry-findings-child-psychiatric-torture-prompt-us-reforms/