Lake Alice Hospital
Photo: PUBLIC DOMAIN./ Pawful

The Crown is reimbursing Lake Alice abuse survivors $2.67 million to comply with one of the recommendations of the Final report of the Royal Commission.

In 2001, the Crown settled with 95 survivors for $6.5 million, but the law firm representing the group, Grant Cameron & Associates, deducted about $2.6 million in legal fees from what the survivors received. survivors received in payments.

This meant that survivors received, on average, approximately $41,000 after approximately $27,000 in legal fees were deducted.

Erica Stanford, senior minister for government response coordination, has announced that the government will address the issue of legal fees.

Survivors can submit a request for reimbursement to the Ministry of Health until June 30 of next year.

Each individual survivor will be eligible to receive between $15,000 and $55,000 depending on their case.

Not all survivors are expected to file a claim. Some may have died before today’s announcement.

Erica Stanford.
Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER

In a more recent settlement, the plaintiffs received an average of $70,000 due to the legal costs of the Crown meetings in that case.

“This unequal treatment has been a historic injustice for more than 20 years. As a society we should have done better. This government is determined to do better,” Stanford said.

The $2.67 million announced will cover reimbursed legal fees, Ministry of Health administration for the claims process, as well as the costs of additional claims that have recently been filed over historic abuses at Lake Alice.

“Payments will be made on an ex-gratia basis, meaning they will not be treated as income for tax or benefit purposes,” Stanford said.

“Since July, we have recognized that some children and young people suffered torture at the Lake Alice Unit and have established urgent financial assistance for those suffering from terminal illnesses.

“While we will never be able to fully undo or redress the harm suffered by survivors, the Government continues to respond to the Royal Commission’s final report with the respect and care it deserves,” he said.

Today’s announcement relates directly to recommendation 18 of the Royal Commission’s final report.

“It recommended that an independent person be appointed to review the arrangements, however Cabinet agreed this was an unnecessary step. The facts of this matter are clear and it was important to us that the survivors were reimbursed as quickly as possible,” he said. Stanford.

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