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Abuse in Care: One brother's 60-year fight for justice

Thursday, 14 July 2022

Mr EY shares the story of his brother Jimmy
Mr EY shares the story of his brother Jimmy's abuse in care with the Royal Commission's disability, death and mental health institutional care public hearing.

People with disabilities experience higher rates of violence than nondisabled people. Disabled people, their whānau and advocates are sharing stories of historical abuse at the Abuse in Care – Royal Commission of Inquiry Disability, Deaf and Mental Health institutional care. The hearing runs from July 11 to July 20.

He left Taranaki for Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital, a happy, well-loved child. He returned two years later in a coffin.

Jimmy (Moriori, Te Āti Awa, Rangitāne, Ngāi Tahu) was 12 when he was admitted to the Waikato psychiatric facility in 1963.

His brother, Mr EY, chose to remain anonymous as he told the Abuse in Care’s disability, deaf and mental health institutional care hearing how Tokanui turned Jimmy from a talking, walking, playful sibling into a wheelchair-bound, disoriented, silent child who couldn’t tell them of the horrific abuse he had endured.

**READ MORE:

* Abuse in Care: The moment a woman discovered the Tokanui unmarked graves while horse riding

* Abuse in Care: Institution for disabled people compared to 'concentration camps'

* Abuse in Care: Treatments intended to shock disabled patients out of 'bad behaviour'

**

Jimmy was taken to Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital from Taranaki in 1963. (File photo of Tokanui, April 1993)
Jimmy was taken to Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital from Taranaki in 1963. (File photo of Tokanui, April 1993)

But EY saw his pain, the neglect, and how Jimmy’s life at Tokanui was unsurvivable.

Growing up, Jimmy was slower than the others and struggled to make friends at school, but was loved and cared for by his mother and siblings.

“He might have been a bit slow, but we didn’t notice that. We were all helping each other, he did things the best he could,” EY said.

“He had a bit of a limp, I think I can remember he walked slowly, but we were all walking along the railway line anyhow, Jimmy was happy plodding along as he was.”

EY was 13 months older than Jimmy.

Mr EY’s 14-year-old brother died in Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital after spending two years in the facility’s “care”.
Mr EY’s 14-year-old brother died in Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital after spending two years in the facility’s “care”.

It was sudden when Jimmy was taken away from the whānau and diagnosed with “imbecility” at Tokanui in April, 1963, EY said.

He and his siblings waited a year to see their brother again. They were excited to reconnect, but what they found horrified them.

“As Mum was wheeling his chair out, Mum had tears in her eyes. I was shocked,” EY said.

“His stomach was bulging all over. It was huge. He was about 20 stone. He would have been over three times the size he should have been.

Jimmy couldn’t speak, and his head was hanging down as if he was drugged up, EY said.

EY saw Jimmy was trying to scratch his side, so he helped to prop him up, exposing the area on his side.

“I put my hand underneath his leg … when I pulled my hand out, my hand was covered in blood,” he said.

“Both his thighs and all around his bottom end was absolutely raw and I screamed and said to my mum: ‘Look at this! This is bulls..t. This isn’t right, you could see something’s wrong here for Jimmy to be left in this agony.’

“The smell of it all too, and of course he couldn’t cry to me really, but he was just going, ‘Ah ah ah ah.’ I was devastated, I was shocked.”

Through tears, EY said he begged his mother to take Jimmy home, but nothing changed. EY thinks his mother, a quiet gentle woman, spoke to their father about Jimmy’s return, but their father was stubborn.

Counsel Assist Ruth Thomas is leading the Abuse in Care Disability, Deaf, and Mental Health institutional care hearing. (First published July, 2022)

“I think Jimmy would have been so lonely,” EY said.

“We would have been his only visitors the whole time he was there. One thing I hold on to is that, once, during our visit, I know that Jimmy recognised us and there was a very slight smile on his face. It was a distant smile, but it was there.”

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EY and his sisters desperately wanted Jimmy to come back home, to care for him themselves, but when he did return to Taranaki almost two years later, it was in a box.

Jimmy’s death notice says he became ill on July 10, 1965, developed bronchopneumonia, and died at 11.20pm July 12, 1965, with progressive muscular dystrophy noted as a secondary cause of death.

Through tears, EY told the commission how the horrific abuse Jimmy experienced haunts him.

“Even my sisters have said, oh, let it be. How can it be? That’s our brother. I needed to know what happened to Jimmy.”

EY contacted government departments and agencies, the Waikato District Health Board, Archives New Zealand, he tried going through the historic claims process, and had multiple sessions with a health worker to uncover the truth of how Jimmy was treated.

But at every corner, he was blocked.

“It should not be this way for whānau trying to find out what happened to their family member,” EY said.

“My brother died in care. Jimmy didn’t have a voice to express his pain and suffering. So, I must carry his voice from beyond the grave to ensure justice.

“I believe Jimmy died unnecessarily. His mana needs to be restored.”

The hearing continues.

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