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Victorian Human Rights and Mental Health Tribunal

The AMHHRLR Coalition is pleased to announce the formation of the Victorian Human Rights and Mental Health Tribunal. This will provide an opportunity for Mental Health Consumers/Survivors, Families, Carers and people employed in the Victorian Mental Health/Community Services to make personal testimonies of their experiences of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in the the Victorian Mental System and from Victoria Police.

All testimonies will be filmed to be sent to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment Mr. Juan Mendez. A panel of eminent Australian Human Rights Advocates and Lawyers will witness all interviews and produce a report on their findings for the United Nations.

Filming will be done at Victorian Trades Hall in the Evatt Room. Corner of Victoria and Lygon Street, Carlton South. 6th and 7th December', 9am-6pm. This is a safe and protected environment. If you are unable to attend because of existing health conditions or financial circumstances there is some capacity to record your testimony from a place of your choice Similiar Tribunals will be held in all States of Australia to record and film testimonies.

To make an appointment for your testimony please contact Greg Oke asap on 0431 704 975 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Please advise if you wish to make an oral or written testimony. This a great opportunity to make a real difference in protecting people from torture in Australia and enhancing the Human Rights of people experiencing Emotional and Spiritual Distress and given Psychiatric Labels.

Kind regards and yours in Human Rights,

Greg Oke

1/12/2011

Human Rights, Freedom, Respect, Equality, Dignity, Justice and Redress for all people experiencing Emotional and Spiritual Distress and given Psychiatric Labels

' Nothing About Us Without Us!'

Stop discrimination and exclusion in Victorian Mental Health Services

Between the years 2006 -10 over 975 Victorians have died while under the protection, care and treatment of the Victorian Mental Health System and the Victorian Mental Health Act, 1986. These deaths are described as unexpected, unnatural or violent. It's time to take deaths of 975 people who died between 2006-2010 while under the protection, care and treatment of the Victorian Mental Health System and subject to the Victorian Mental Act 1986 seriously.

International Human Rights norms, which are now enshrined in the Victorian Human Rights and Responsiblities Act, 2006, stipulate that the right to life is not adequately protected unless deaths are investigated by a body that is genuinely independent of the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist, given sufficient powers and resources to undertake rigorous and effective investigations, subject to public scrutiny, and able to facilitate full participation by the family of the victim.

" Every person has the right to life and has the right not to be arbitarily deprived of life." Section 9, Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act, 2006

It's time Victoria took urgent steps to prevent more deaths from happening. We cannot put off creating an Independent body to investigate these deaths any longer.

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