A prestigious award recognized five decades of relentless advocacy for justice and reform fought by CCHR and survivors of electroshock abuse at a psychiatric hospital.
-- 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. CCHR and the Lake Alice survivors were recognized for their unwavering advocacy against human rights abuses in psychiatric institutions.[2]
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.”
In a landmark development, it was determined that the "treatment" administered to children at Lake Alice met the definition of torture.
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.”
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 independent Royal Commission, both confirming that the abuse 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.”
Endorsement from National Leaders
During Royal Commission hearings, Chairperson Coral Shaw remarked:
“CCHR has gone to extraordinary efforts since the 1970s to keep this flame alive on behalf of survivors. It’s been an extraordinary effort.”
Royal Commissioner Paul Gibson added:
“We acknowledge 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.”
A Global Call for Reform
The Royal Commission has called for a ban on all forms of inhumane treatment in psychiatric and state-run institutions. Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International, emphasized the international relevance of these findings:
“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.”
“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 the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR): CCHR is a global nonprofit mental health watchdog committed to investigating and exposing psychiatric abuse. Founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz, CCHR has helped reform mental health laws, shut down abusive facilities, and protect the rights of mental health patients in more than 30 countries.
Sources:
[1] nzawards.org.nz/winners/lake-alice-survivors-and-the-citizens-commission-on-human-rights-new-zealand/
[2] 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/
[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.nzherald.co.nz/nz/royal-commission-of-inquiry-into-state-care-finds-lake-alice-children-were-tortured/ZB3EVQL765ATLMDKSX6XHSTXEA/
[5] www.cchrint.org/2022/07/11/cchr-praised-for-47-years-of-exposing-psychiatric-abuses-in-new-zealand/
Contact Info:
Name: Amber Rauscher
Email: Send Email
Organization: Citizens Commission on Human Rights International
Address: 6616 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90028, United States
Phone: +1-323-467-4242
Website: https://www.cchrint.org
Source: PressCable
Release ID: 89156515
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