Woman wrongly locked up as mentally ill for decades

An Auckland woman who suffered unnecessarily for 40 years in state care is calling for a commission of inquiry into historic widespread abuse in New Zealand psychiatric hospitals.

Alison, whose named is not revealed, suffered a brain injury as a young child and her parents sent her away in 1950.

The now 75-year-old told The Nation she was physically and sexually abused at the institution she was sent to.

It was many years before a psychiatrist and doctor found Alison wasn't mentally impaired at all.

"He said I shouldn't have been in psychiatric institutions. He said 'you've got a lot of physical conditions because of the abuse and the neglect and all the drugs. And I was taken off committal."

Alison was part of a Government settlement in 2012, but wants answers as to why she was left to suffer for so long.

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