A plea from a Lake Alice survivor on behalf of his dying friend has prompted the Government to make urgent payments to abuse victims with terminal illnesses.
The rapid payments of $20,000, announced today, were for a small group of survivors from the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit between 1972 and 1978.
Lake Alice survivor Bruce Harkness pleaded to Erica Stanford, the lead coordination minister for the Government's response to the Royal Commission's Report on Historical Abuse in State Care, on the day the report was tabled.
He told Stanford: "I've got a friend that's a former survivor, and he's in a terminally ill position.
"She said straight away, 'I'll take care of it', which was quite impressive."
The minister told 1News today: "I'm really honoured to say we're accelerating a $20,000 payment to those Lake Alice survivors of torture who are terminally ill.
"It's not a recommendation of the Royal Commission, but the right thing to do is to make a payment to those who are at the end of their life."
Some of the group are already in hospice care and too ill to talk, but their fellow survivors said the payment would bring some relief.
"I can't speak fully for him but from what I know of him, from his behalf, he appreciates the fact that he can go to and pay for his own burial," Harkness said, speaking on behalf of another survivor.
Lake Alice survivor Malcolm Richards also spoke on behalf of a survivor.
He said: "Well, it's a good move, and the person that I know of is extremely poor, but that's not even going to cover the funeral. I mean, why didn't they make it $200,000?"
Survivor advocate Mike Ferris welcomed the payment.
"When I first heard about it, I thought, 'At last, something is happening in a tangible form for the survivors'. I think this is opening the door to full redress for them. I really hope so," he said.
He said, however, that time is of the essence.
"They're all in their 60s, and some of them are in very poor health, and compensation redress to help these people for the remaining days of their lives, I think, is really important."
The Government assured victims of torture and mistreatment at Lake Alice that these payments were just the beginning.
"It's one of the first cases where a government has acknowledged the torture of people in their care. This is significant," Stanford said
"We take this very seriously, which is why we're working closely with survivors to make sure we get the process right for this redress."
The Ministry of Health, which already operates a historic claims process for unit survivors, will deliver the $20,000 rapid payments.
"The only supporting material needed to apply for the payment would be a letter from a medical professional confirming a terminal diagnosis and prognosis of six months or less," Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey said.
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