THE A VONDALE ASYLUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9066, 29 May 1888, Page 5

THE A VONDALE ASYLUM.

SERIOUS CHARGES OF ILL-TREAT-

MENT.

A female ex-patient of the Lunatic Asylum named, we believe, Mrs. Green, has, in a sworn statement, made very serious charges against the management and officials of the Lunatic Asylum. The substance of her statement is that she has been ill-treated by some of the female attendants, that they dressed themselves up as ghosts to frighten her, and locked her up in a padded room, telling her that they were going to an undertaker to order her coffin. Subsequently one of the attendants came to her as a Sister of Mercy, asking her to make a confession before the coffin came. She also complains that she was dragged by the hair to her bathroom, and when she refused to go, they slapped her on the face. Messrs. Ewington and Stevenson, the official visiting-inspectors of the Asylum, proceeded on Friday last to investigate the charge. They inquired on arrival at seven o'clock in the evening if Dr. Cremonini, the medical superintendent, was in, and received a reply that he was at dinner, and could not see them just then. They waited for him, and he came down to the room in which they were, and asked what they wanted. They told him of the sworn statement which had been sent them, and which they desired to investigate. Dr. Cremonini replied that it was not true, that it was all lies, but one of the visitors replied that they could not say whether they were lies or not until they inquired into the statement. Dr. Cremonini then objected to their coming there at that time of night, and said that he would not allow it; that their duties were to come there four times a year, and then only between the hours of ten a.m. and four p.m. Mr. Stevenson remonstrated and said that they were authorized to come at any time and stay as long as they wished. Dr. Cre-. monini, however, kept them at bay for forty minutes, when Mr. Stevenson said he would stop no longer, telling Dr. Cremonini that he was placing obstacles in the way of their holding an enquiry.' Dr. Cremonini then agreed that they should hold the enquiry in the male diningroom, in which there was neither a seat nor appliances for taking notes. The visitors then proceeded to examine the attendants, and in the evidence it transpired that such conduct as had been alleged had been indulged in, and one of them acknowledged that the complainant had been slapped in the face, but refused positively to say who did it. We may add that the attendants were not put on oath, and the result of the inquiry is eminently unsatisfactory, but, as the visitors' report will bo forwarded to : Wellington, it is just possible that someI thing more may be heard of the matter.