Governor Pataki Hides Forced Electroshock

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Dear List Members,

Please read and help by filing a complaint with the governor of NY.

Thx.

--------- Forwarded message ----------

Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2003

Subject: 12 Brief Alerts: Human Rights in Mental Health, Mind Your

Freedom in '04

NEWS: Your Mind & Freedom - 30 Dec. 2003

http://www.MindFreedom.org - please forward

Get Ready to Mind Your Freedom in 2004! Here Are

12 Brief News Alerts on Human Rights in Mental Health.

~~~~~~~

(1) Governor Pataki Hides Forced Electroshock

New York State's Governor E. Pataki

has allowed a 60 year old woman to have

180 forced electroshocks on a weekly basis.

The Governor's agency now seeks a court order to

give 52 more forced shocks over her objections.

Earlier this year Governor Pataki vetoed a bill about

the public's right to know about electroshock. It looks

like MindFreedom uncovered what Gov. Pataki is hiding.

MindFreedom has a campaign to help Governor Pataki

realize that the world knows about this torture. It takes

just a moment to fill out a web form to the Governor here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/shock/jt_shock.shtml

My letter to the Gov.:

To Honorable Governor E. Pataki:

I have read an allegation on the Internet that the State of New York has

given involuntary electroshock against the expressed wishes of the subject

of a 60 year old woman 180 times -- and that your agency seeks a court order

to give 50 more forced shocks, at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center.

The taxpayers of NY deserve to know that their money is being spent on a

controversial, long ago pronounced archaic, now back in vogue brain-damaging

therapy that leaves many people with permanent damage.

The court petiton reads in part:

" BEFORE SUFFOLK COUNTY SUPREME COURT, IT WAS REVEALED THAT OUR CLIENT'S

CONDITION HAS NOT MUCH IMPROVED DESPITE THE 180 SHOCKS THAT SHE HAS

UNDERGONE. "

Has it occurred to you that the reason 180 ECT treatments have made

little to no difference is because the treatment does not have the efficacy

rate touted? Has it occured to you that perhaps she could get better if

you stopped allowing her brain to be battered this way?

The court document goes on to state that the woman more than likely will

spend the rest of her life in the hospital. Do you plan on allowing her to

be electrically shocked AGAINST HER WILL every week for the rest of her

life? Does she not have any rights because she is said to have a " mental

illness " ?POWs are treated better than this.

Shame on you, Gov. Pataki. Not only have you managed to torture this

woman under the guise of " treatment " but you've managed to keep it from the

public. However, those days are gone. We are NOW able to access this

information despite the restriction, and are loudly and insistently calling

for this portion of SB 2691 to be revisited.

Regards,