Timeline Rārangi wā
1972 Lake Alice Hospital child and adolescent unit opened.[12]
January 1973 First recorded complaint of abuse at the unit to the Department of Social Welfare by a boy who had been sent there from Holdsworth School.
Mid 1974 Dr Leeks oversaw four children applying electric shocks to a fifth child at the unit.
November 1974 Acting chief educational psychologist Don Brown raised serious concerns with Dr Sydney Pugmire about improper use of ECT at the unit.
January 1976 The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) toured Lake Alice hospital, and raised concerns in several media articles about the placement and treatment of children at the hospital.
July 1976 Parents of CD, a boy sent to the unit by the Department of Social Welfare complained to the Ombudsman.
August 1976 Educational psychologist, Ms Lyn Fry contacted Dr Oliver Sutherland, from the Auckland Committee on Racism and Discrimination (ACORD) regarding Hake Halo.
January 1977 Commission of inquiry into Mr Halo’s case established.
March 1977 Commission of inquiry into Mr Halo’s case submitted its report.
April 1977 Ombudsman Sir Guy Powles released his report.
June 1977 Dr Stanley Mirams referred complaints of abuse to district inspector, NZ Police and the New Zealand Medical Association.
September 1977 New Zealand Medical Association ethics committee referred a complaint against Dr Selwyn Leeks to the New Zealand Medical Council.
November 1977 New Zealand Medical Council investigation into Dr Leeks ended, apparently not upholding the complaint.
January 1978 NZ Police investigation ended with decision not to prosecute.
Early 1978 Dr Leeks left New Zealand for Australia with a certificate of good standing from the New Zealand Medical Council.
1980 We understand the unit was closed by this year. (Note: children were still at the unit in 1979 and there was no clear date of closure.)
1987 United Nations Convention against Torture ratified and the Crimes of Torture Act is passed.
August 1994 Ms Leoni McInroe filed civil case against the Crown.
July 1997 Grant Cameron Associates began negotiations with the Crown on behalf of substantial cohort of survivors, which grew over next four years.
October 2001 First round of survivor settlements with the Crown.
2002 Second round of survivor settlements with the Crown.
2002 Ms McInroe settled civil case with the Crown.
2003–2006 Second NZ Police investigation.
2006 Dr Leeks surrendered his practising certificate in Australia, avoiding a scheduled hearing of the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria into complaints of abuse by several Lake Alice survivors.
2006–2010 Third NZ Police investigation.
July 2017 Mr Paul Zentveld complained to the United Nations Committee against Torture.
March 2018 Malcolm Richards complained to the United Nations Committee against Torture.
2018–2021 Fourth NZ Police investigation.
January 2020 United Nations Committee against Torture found that the Government failed to properly investigate Mr Zentveld’s complaints.
December 2021 NZ Police announced charges to be laid against former nurse at Lake Alice; announced that age, infirmity and geographical barrier prevented charges being laid against Dr Leeks and one other former nurse.
6 January 2022 Dr Leeks died.
June 2022 United Nations Committee Against Torture found that the Government failed to properly investigate Malcolm Richards’ complaint and denied him an appropriate remedy.