Fed: Defence accused of abusing psychiatric exams

AAP General News (Australia)
04-02-2000
Fed: Defence accused of abusing psychiatric exams

CANBERRA, April 2 AAP - Senior defence commanders were misusing the defence medical
system to discredit troublesome juniors through questionable psychiatric diagnoses, it
was alleged today.

Former defence personnel have complained that dubious mental assessments have been
used as a basis for discharging them from the service, the Network Nine Sunday program
reported today.

In one case, former army major Mary Ann Martinek claimed she was ostracised then placed
on indefinite leave after she raised allegations of fraud and sexual harassment at her
base.

She said she was diagnosed as suffering a serious mental disorder by a psychiatrist
who asked her nothing at all about her ostracism or the antagonism from her superiors.

In another case, former RAAF recruit Joanne Nicholson said she objected to an air force
doctor prescribing massive quantities of painkillers for her back injury.

She said she was accused of causing trouble for the defence force because she had been
assaulted several years earlier.

"If you show any sign that you have got your own mind, they will get rid of you," she said.

"That is their idea of dealing with the problem and they will make sure they do everything
they can to get rid of you. I was classed as a troublemaker and they don't like anyone
who questions their procedures."

Civilian psychiatrist Dr Ian Wilkie said defence psychiatrists knew what was expected of them.

"It is very very easy to corrupt someone in an organisation particularly if you present
it that the survival of the organisation depends on protecting ourselves from this dangerous
individual and we might have to bend the rules a little bit but the end will justify the
means," he said on the program.

Head of the defence personnel executive Major General Peter Dunn denied the defence
medical system was used to deny justice to whistleblowers.

"The psychiatrists or psychologists who work in defence are professionally second to
none," he said.

"No system is perfect. I would be the first to say that whilst we would be striving
for perfection, we have got a long way to go.

But he agreed the defence grievance process took way too long with the average case
taking 239 days for resolution.

"It upsets me to think that people have to wait so long and that is why we are driving
to shorten the process," he said.

"What is absolutely essential in any case that we deal with is that we look after the
individual concerned.

"That is costing us money but that is somebody in whom we have invested as part of
the family and we are very very sad when somebody has to leave the family."

AAP mb/bdm

KEYWORD: MISUSE

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.