international/resources:

Responding to Child Abuse in Canadian Institutions
Duplessis Orphans

 From: lfoti@GPU.SRV.UALBERTA.CA (ICAD Editors)

The International Coalition on abuse and disability (ICAD) listserv posts a variety of stories and reports. Below is a recent example.

The" Duplessis Orphans" certainly endured mistreatment in institutional care. Many were drugged, incarcerated, restrained, emotionally and physically abused. Some experienced other forms of abuse. However, much of the attention given to their case seems to imply that they should not have been treated this way because they were not really retarded or crazy. This also implies that if they had been emotionally or cognitively disabled, treating them this way would have been justifiable.

There is no particular reason to believe that they were treated worse than all of the other children who lived in the same institutions with them. They do deserve an apology and compensation, but so do all of the other children with genuine disabilities who endured the same treatment.

The law commission of Canada has just released Restoring Dignity: Responding to Child Abuse in Canadian Institutions. It suggests measures to help deal with the historical abuse and hopefully to reduce future occurrences. It is not a panacea, but it's worth looking at. It was based on a study of survivors of abuse in institutions across Canada including the " Duplessis Orphans," sterilization victims in Alberta, sexual abuse survivors at Jericho Hills in BC, and many others.

To get more information on the report or download a copy of the report or its executive summary in English, Cree, Ojibway go to: http://www.lcc.gc.ca/en/forum/ica2000/index.html

To get audiotape or Braille copies, request them from info@lcc.gc.ca or information in French, go to
http://www.lcc.gc.ca/fr/forum/ica2000/index.html

The web site has some good links to other sources and documents.

Dick Sobsey
ICAD Editor
icadeds@pop.srv.ualberta.ca