by Rhonda Trivett (guest author) on 18 October, 2010
Rhonda describes how it’s been hard for her to get a job and who is helping her.
My name is Rhonda Trivett I was locked up from the age on 7 to 21 years old. I am 50 years of age. I was never taught any trades or anything. Just how to be bashed raped and see my friends being killed that was my life. Its sucks, hey? I never had a real job working for someone else in a normal environment. Cause I’ve never class my self as being normal. I’m a expert on the work rejection. People have always said I was a nothing all my life but they didn’t know the real me. Years ago all the doctors said I would never be able to even hold a job down. Really everything I’ve done I’ve taught myself. And man that was hard especially when you can’t read or write. But in my adult years I have learnt. And I am proud of myself. I’ve come along way. I’m still learning. I’m always a stuff up until now. It’s time for me to change. You only live once so I reckon live life to your fullest potential.
At Max Employment I done two courses and they really made me think of what I wanted to do in my life as well as a job and how to do it. It really hit me for once that I have got brains and lots of skills that need to come out and it’s time to use them. Also learning about different techniques and how to put them into practice and getting and keeping the job that made so much sense the way it was taught to us and how to be a person for the job. I suppose I’m a hell of a challenge for them.
Max Employment agencies at Belconnen is more than just a work place. In the last couple of weeks they have shown me how nice good hearted real people that do care are all about. They have as well shown me that they believe in me and in getting me a job. That makes me feel good because no one really has believe in me, let a lone told me they will get me a job, really spun me out. Being in Canberra I’ve met all kind of good people that really wants to help me no matter how who or what I am or do or think. I kind of really like them all a lot. I’m so screwed up inside they still want to help me. And they are just a job employment agencies. I still hate myself and want to get it right. But it’s good to know that there’s real down to earth caring people. I wish I was one.
Out in the world you hear about all the bad people but you never hear about the good ones. Because of my circumstances I think its good that these guys are around. I’m glad I’ve got some real good friends.
All the staff like me even as a person that really makes me feel good, and because I want to work and get off my DSS Pension. I don’t have to. But I want to. And especially where I come from. They are really trying to help me get a job. And get my own place as well. Even the boss is a nice young likeable caring person which has a great team. Well I like them all. Thank you Max at Belconnen.
Nicely done Rhonda
Hi Rhonda,
I’m so pleased to see that you have survived and are doing relatively well. I was horrified to read of you being raped and bashed, and the horrors of Osler House. I remember working there when you were there but I had no idea things were so bad. I guess these things happened at night so they would not be noticed. I remember you being ignored when you had seizures – they thought you were putting it on. Osler House had the most terrible mix of patients – the criminals, the mentally retarded and the severely disturbed, as well as you and the other young ones. It was a primitive dump, and not really fit for living in. I have seen 2 other women since who were in Osler as young children – I will direct them to this website if I see them again.
I don’t know what chance you have of getting compensation but you and the others certainly deserve it. These allegations of abuse are very hard to prove unfortunately. Mental hospital treatment was dreadful in those days. I suppose compensation may be awarded on the basis of your age – you and the other children. You should have not been there. Congratulations on surviving and good luck with your studies. You are very strong – you always were, and I wish I had known what was going on in Osler at that time. Maybe I could have put a stop to it.
Best wishes
Liz
Hi Liz Phillips,
Did any of the inmates personally report to you that they had been sexually assulted and if so, did you report the allegations to the police then have the patient checked by a doctor. Or did you just dismess it as just being in their head as a way of the patient causing trouble. ?
It looks to me some perverts took advantage of their position ganging up on patients and covering each others back. For you knowing nothing of such sadomaschistic abuse hapening right under your nose is rather surprising, astonishing that you didnt even hear a wisper.
36 yrs ago when we were at B.College minstering to a man who was a psychiatric sister in a Mental Hospital. He told us there were patients that were drugged then sex performed on them. I didnt believe him until 29 yrs later when meeting other people who said the same thing.
Psychiatrist Colin Bouwer head of psychological medicine at the University of Otago New Zealand is spending life in prison for murdering his wife, murder was his action , then raping children like Rhonda wouldnt surrprise me neither.
YOU ARE BRAVE RHONDA and thankyou for letting us know what happened to you as the same thing happened to others.
Liz, you were one of the good ones working in Osler House, thankyou for your kind care to those patients.
Those perverted perpurbtraters committing sexual offences on Rhonda, and no doubt others, would of made sure you being the nice kind caring person that you are, would never find out .
Hi Christine
In response to your question – no, no patient ever reported to me in Osler House that they were being raped and bashed. Mind you, I was at the bottom of the ranks at that time and was quite insignificant. Later on in my career, when I had more authority, I was responsible for reporting quite a few allegations by patients, and making sure they were investigated.
Wolston Park was staffed in “the old days” by people who had little or no education and had serious problems themselves. They were employed as “assistants” and had no nursing training. Many of them were refugees from the second world war and were in concentration camps, and had severe alocholism and PTSD as a result. Some of them, mostly the women, were kind, but some of the men were so damaged that they were quite nasty to the patients. Even the trained staff had little education compared to the level of education required now to be a psychiatric nurse. Many of these types did night duty, where there was very little supervision from senior staff, and the night staff could do what they liked, including the alleged rapings and bashings, and remain undetected. So don’t assume we “good” staff turned a blind eye, or thought the patients were imagining it. Anything could have happened at night in that place, and probably did.
regards,
Liz
Hi Liz,
Thankyou for explaining about the type of people that worked in Wolsten Park and most probably other institutions & orphanages. The use of unexperienced people to work in these places would certainly explain some of the abuses there .
Psychiatrist are surely guilty on these issus also, and as over 95% of them are Atheists they certainly have no fear of God or concern for their fellow man. For example look at Scientist Alfred Kinsey, very educated, the whole world was blinded by his “Philosphy” and he paid Pedophiles to abuse children as young as 2 months old ….. and got them to note all of their reactions to their abuse, all in the name of Science [so called ] and all of the Medical Profession and the Acedemics thought he was wonderful. We have” sown to the wind” and are now reaping” the whirlwind “from all of this criminal perverted garbage he preached. He was a sadomasochistic pederast.
There has been many reports of Psychiatrists sexually abusing their own patients and amongst the Medical Profession, these people do have the highest rate of all sorts of crime , including overcharging too. So I believe that its not just the “uneducated staff that were guilty of this abuse. Psychiatrist Colin Bouwer having murdered his wife, goodness knows if he murdered patients or sexually abusing them and doctoring the paper work just as psychiatrists did with the Duplissis Orphans in Quebec. If he had so little regard for his wife , he would of had less regards for his patients. Pre 80s, abuse was prevelant whether educated or not.
Thankyou Liz for your couragerous statements about what happened and God Bless you.