Hector and Laszlo
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.
Hector is in his late 30s and has been living in a mental health facility for about 15 years. His cousin, Laszlo, told the Royal Commission he is concerned about the ongoing neglect and abuse Hector is subjected to there. The facility only allows Hector’s family limited access to see him. Laszlo would like Hector to come and live with him and Hector’s mother so they can look after him properly.
A few years ago Laszlo and Hector’s mother attended a hearing with the Civil and Administrative Tribunal. When the Member asked Hector where he would like to live, he replied that he wanted to live with Laszlo and his mother. When asked why, one of the reasons he gave was, ‘If I live there I know I will not be watched while having a shower or getting dressed.’
Despite Hector’s wishes and the claims he made about the facility, the Member returned him there.
One of the areas of neglect by the facility has been dental health. The facility said Hector was having regular visits with the dentist but, ‘because of what had happened in the past’, Laszlo ‘did not believe anything they said’.
A couple of years ago one of Hector’s relatives took him to the dentist for a check-up and was told there was approximately $4,500 worth of work that needed to be done on his oral health. The facility made assurances it would attend to it.
Not trusting the facility, Laszlo took Hector back to the same dentist later that year to see if anything had been done. The dentist said that not only had no steps been taken to address the existing oral health issues, but there was further damage.
Recently Hector was allowed to have a rare overnight stay with his mum and Laszlo – it was the first in eight years.
‘When I picked him up,’ said Laszlo, ‘he was dressed like a homeless person. Upon arriving at his mum’s house we checked his suitcase to see what [the facility] had packed for him. They had packed enough clothes for four nights but the clothes they packed did not fit him and were not even his.’
Laszlo rang the facility and asked why Hector was dressed like this and what happened to his clothes. They replied that Hector spent most of his money on cigarettes so had to buy clothes from the op shop. But when Laszlo contacted some of the op shops, they said they were not allowed to sell clothing in the kind of state Hector’s was in – clothes with holes, dirty clothes and stained underpants.
Hector’s feet were also in an ‘appalling’ condition and his mum spent three hours cleaning them up.
Laszlo has reported his concerns to the ombudsman and other mental health services. But, he says, ‘They didn’t seem to care or even believe what we were saying.’
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.