Claudio and Alphonse
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
Claudio has schizophrenia and is under an involuntary treatment order. Alphonse, his brother, says Claudio has been ‘screwed up in every way by mental health workers and psychiatrists’ for most of his life.
‘They’ve caused him so much damage, and nobody looks into them … It’s criminal behaviour.’
Claudio believes doctors and mental health workers have inappropriately medicated Alphonse, and that he has been abused in their care.
‘They sedated him so much – they’ve stopped doing that now – that someone came into his room and they raped him and he couldn’t move or nothing, and my sister saw cum on his backside. And he puts poo on the walls. He never does that. I’d say that was a side effect from being raped.’
The police were ‘not allowed’ to investigate, Alphonse said, and ‘the psychiatrist at the time put it down as a delusion’.
‘That’s how disgusting and harmful it’s been.’
After that, Claudio had some good psychiatrists who prescribed an antipsychotic.
‘And that worked so good for years and he’s still on it, but then he got a new government psychiatrist. This quack comes along and puts him on the depot injection as well. And my brother’s been in hospital nine times since he’s been on this injection, and he’s been so sick. And for the few years before that, no hospital at all.’
The treating psychiatrist gave the family ‘no say on all the rotten bad side effects’.
‘He would never talk to family. No way will he. That’s their rule … And there’s no point talking to mental health nurses. They’ll do malpractice, lies, whatever to support the psychiatrist … support their power.’
Alphonse said Claudio was fearful of complaining about the medication.
‘He’s got to be careful not to say anything, because the person who’s really in the system has to be quiet. You can’t make your mental health workers angry,’ Alphonse said.
‘Once the quacks get into you you’ve got a mental illness, you’re screwed for the rest of your life. And you’d better not complain or you’ll really get it.’
Alphonse went to a tribunal to fight Claudio’s treatment, but said the whole hearing was skewed against the patient.
‘No matter what the evidence is, it’s irrelevant. They will still support the mental health worker, totally, 100 per cent. Must be billions of dollars that the government just waste in mental health matters through the system of tribunals … They say, “Oh, that’s all for the rights of people.” Load of crap because, hey, family can’t speak and the patient most certainly is not going to speak.’
As he advocated for Claudio, psychiatric staff tried to have Alphonse assessed for mental illness several times.
‘To shut me up … They’re targeting me. I don’t have mental health issues, but because of my complaint, they’re trying to schedule me and put me on antipsychotics.’
After Alphonse complained to the health practitioner regulation agency, Claudio’s psychiatrist walked away.
‘And so another government psychiatrist came … He listened to us. We’re weaning my brother off that injection.’
While this is a positive development, Alphonse has no faith in Australia’s mental health system. He said people like his brother ‘feel hopeless’.
‘You’ve got no rights to your life. And you’ve got no say. And that’s detrimental to a person’s mental health.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.