Hon Helen Morton asks about the referral of possible cases of ill-treatment of mental health patients to the police or Director of Public Prosecutions. Hon Sue Ellery requests the question be placed on notice due to the need for inter-departmental coordination.

AnsweredQoN 87Legislative Council
Asked
26 February 2008
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS — ILL-TREATMENT
Further to question without notice 25 asked on 20 February 2008, in which the minister does not dispute that the Council of Official Visitors raised possible cases of wilful neglect or ill-treatment of mental health patients in its last three annual reports, and that wilful neglect or ill-treatment of this type is an offence under section 162 of the Mental Health Act 1996, I ask — (1) Given this evidence of possible ongoing crime, will the minister please confirm that these matters raised in the 2006-07 report have been referred to the police or the Director of Public Prosecutions for investigation or prosecution? (2) If no to (1), why not? (3) If yes — (a) what is the status of the referral; (b) when was the referral made; (c) who made the referral; and (d) did the minister request that the referral be made? Hon SUE ELLERY

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. Providing the information in the time required is not possible due to the need to coordinate a response between multiple divisions of the Department of Health. Therefore, the minister requests that the member place the question on notice.
(1) Given this evidence of possible ongoing crime, will the minister please confirm that these matters raised in the 2006-07 report have been referred to the police or the Director of Public Prosecutions for investigation or prosecution? (2) If no to (1), why not? (3) If yes — (a) what is the status of the referral; (b) when was the referral made; (c) who made the referral; and (d) did the minister request that the referral be made? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. Providing the information in the time required is not possible due to the need to coordinate a response between multiple divisions of the Department of Health. Therefore, the minister requests that the member place the question on notice.
(2) If no to (1), why not? (3) If yes — (a) what is the status of the referral; (b) when was the referral made; (c) who made the referral; and (d) did the minister request that the referral be made? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. Providing the information in the time required is not possible due to the need to coordinate a response between multiple divisions of the Department of Health. Therefore, the minister requests that the member place the question on notice.
(3) If yes — (a) what is the status of the referral; (b) when was the referral made; (c) who made the referral; and (d) did the minister request that the referral be made? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. Providing the information in the time required is not possible due to the need to coordinate a response between multiple divisions of the Department of Health. Therefore, the minister requests that the member place the question on notice.
(b) when was the referral made; (c) who made the referral; and (d) did the minister request that the referral be made?
(c) who made the referral; and (d) did the minister request that the referral be made?
(d) did the minister request that the referral be made?
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. Providing the information in the time required is not possible due to the need to coordinate a response between multiple divisions of the Department of Health. Therefore, the minister requests that the member place the question on notice.

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