The Queensland government has launched an investigation into sexual abuse at a former psychiatric hospital in Wolston Park
An ex-nursing student at Brisbane’s Wolston Park says she faced retribution after she reported alleged patient abuse at the facility. The government has launched an investigation into former psychiatric hospital, after a report by ABC. The ex-student hopes nurses will be able to give evidence about what she says was an overwhelming culture of abuse.
Transcript
00:00Jo Clifford was just 17 when she took on a nursing placement at Brisbane's notorious
00:08Walston Park Mental Hospital in the early 80s.
00:11There wasn't just the odd account of sexual abuse, chemical restraint, physical abuse.
00:20It was a systematic, toxic culture of abuse.
00:25The former nurse remembers her tyres were slashed after reporting an alleged rape of
00:30an elderly patient by a senior male nurse.
00:33And he said, you'll pay for this.
00:36I thought, I know what paying for it means.
00:39He's the guy that was slashing my tyres.
00:42And that's what happened again.
00:44I had my tyres slashed.
00:46The facility closed back in 2001, but there have been widespread historic allegations
00:52of sexual abuse, beatings and chemical restraint.
00:55As part of an ABC investigation, some former patients spoke out for the first time about
01:01their experiences, which has now triggered another state government inquiry.
01:05The minister met with those who had been speaking with the ABC and they convinced her that there
01:12was more work to be done and I think that's entirely appropriate.
01:17These stories are distressing.
01:18They are, unfortunately, a part of a very dark history that we have here in Queensland.
01:24The terms of reference are still being developed and the health minister was reluctant to pre-empt
01:27any findings that could be made, but the opposition has committed to continuing the investigation
01:32if elected in October.
01:34Good governments are transparent governments and I think people have seen in recent times
01:41that everything the government's done on investigations across the board has been done with a prism
01:48of their survival.
01:50As for Jo, she hopes this will bring some closure.
01:53There have been attempts to look into Wollaston Park and they've all been quashed.
02:00If this government is brave enough to look at this and look at this thoroughly, the patients
02:06that are now coming forward need to be believed.