Update – March 9, 2016. Justice For Victims Of Institutional Torture

In 2001, the firm of Rochon Genova began a class action lawsuit on behalf of former patients of the Oak Ridge Mental Health Division of Penetang, in Penetanguishene, Ontario.

Throughout the 1970’s, Drs. Elliott Barker and Gary Maier, acting under the auspices of Crown authority, conducted human experimentation on patients who were in their care. The manner of how fundamentally they breached their fiduciary responsibilities can only be described as torture.

Among the experiments was the “Total Encounter Capsule Program,” which ran from 1969-1979.

The “Capsule” was a windowless 8 x 10 room, in which upwards of 7 men would be stripped and confined naked together for weeks at a time. The room had only one sink and one toilet. The men were not given blankets or clothing, and subjected to fluctuations of extreme heat and cold, and light and darkness. They were administered a variety of hallucinogens, including L.S.D and Devil’s Breath, and were starved of any food other than liquid. They received the liquid through straws coming out of the wall, never knowing if it would be hot soup or cold milk. The experiment was designed to completely break the men down through all manner of sensory destabilization.

The men were considered (as documented in the evidence) by the doctors as “throw aways.” The sad reality is they were men who had suffered horrible childhood sexual and physical abuse, and required help. Instead of help, they suffered more trauma at the hands of those who were supposed to provide treatment. And, of course,when researched later for program effectiveness, it was found the experiments made the patients worse; some committing suicide as a result.

Since 2001, the Doctors and the Government who allowed this program to run, have failed to take accountability for their breach of professional ethics and abusive practices regarding these experimental procedures. This has led to 15 long years of inaction, during which the victims have been unable to lay this to rest. Now, senior citizens, they suffer nightmares and other consequences of post traumatic stress disorder, waiting for their government to settle.

It is time the Government takes responsibility for the human rights violations that occurred under their authority.

Please sign your name to tell them what happened was wrong, and urge them to settle swiftly and justly with these men.

You can read more here: Oak Ridge Class Action

You can see Jim’s story here: Secrets of Oak Ridge