***Distressing content warning***

At the time of the hearing Ms Taru was 70, is Pākeha and identifies as part of the rainbow community. She gave evidence of her experiences in Marycrest and Margaret Street Girls’ Home in Horowhenua in the mid 1960s. Following symptoms of emotional disturbances, she was seen by Dr Pugmire from Lake Alice, prescribed psychiatric medication and transferred to Kingslea Girls’ Home at his recommendation. At Kingslea she was placed in “Clinic”, a set of cells in which she was kept in solitary confinement for several months. Her mental health deteriorated and she was sent to a psychiatric unit for almost a year, where she was given strong medication. She gave evidence of the impact of being isolated, the lack of education, and the abuse she suffered in care.