Hidden camera exposes horrific abuse of disabled woman | 60 Minutes Australia

You are about to see what is undoubtedly one of the cruelest and most horrible visions we have ever broadcast. It shows the shameful harassment and physical

abuse

that Lee-Anne Mackey received from the people she employed to care for her at the group home where she lived. But as she will see, these caretakers don't give a damn. They thought that because Lee-Anne has severe cerebral palsy and doesn't speak, they would get away with her vile behavior. Now, while it is true that she Lee Anne does not speak, she is not voiceless. Unbeknownst to her attackers, she reported her

abuse

to her parents, Lorraine and Rob, who then took the law into her own hands and used a

hidden

camera

to expose a terrible truth.

Lee-Anne Mackey, 53, is a huge Brisbane Lions fan. And she's probably one of its most daring defenders. No matter her severe cerebral palsy or her inability to talk about herself, she still has a voice. Lorraine: It's pretty basic, actually for your communication. As her mother Lorraine explains of her, Lee-Anne moves her eyes to our right to say yes and to our left to say no. Tara: Yeah, that's the key, right? L: Yes. T: Where Lee Anne looks. L: She seems, yes. That's right. When you talk to Lee-Anne, it's clear that her mind is sharp as is her sense of humor.

So, your dad told me, it was a great moment for him when you decided to live on your own. It took him two years to get used to you not being there. Did you miss him so much? No. He'll love that you said that. L: Did you miss me? L: Oh...oh, was that a maybe? T: Yes and no. You have to say nice things about mom when she's sitting in front of you, right? Yes. The link between Lee-Anne and her parents, Rob and Lorraine, is obvious. She has a habit of beating them up and they love her for it.

L: Her personality is a happy, calm, fun-loving, affectionate person with a great sense of humor. He always worried about others. Beautiful person. Everyone who came into contact with her fell in love with her. Yes. Rob: Very personable. That's right, that's Lee-Anne through and through. It was Lee-Anne. T: Not anymore? A: No, not now. Our happy, good-natured, adorable little girl is no longer what she used to be. Caretaker: Shut the fuck up. Shut up. Stop screaming. What you are about to see is a blatant betrayal of the most vulnerable. Vile physical abuse and intimidation inflicted on Lee-Anne by the people paid to care for her.

Insensitive treatment that left the authorities stunned. Travis: She said she was scared. She was scared, scared and upset. How could she not be? And amazed disability advocates. Leigh Meyer: She was shocking. It was frightening. Lee-Anne's complaints ignored and disbelieved until Rob and Lorraine caught her abuser on

camera

. T: It must have been horrible to be proven right? L: She was. A: It was horrible. Absolutely horrible. LM: I think they assumed they could get away with it. T: Did you understand why they treated you like that? L: No. That is a clear no. But now, thanks to Lee-Anne's bravery, police are putting the care industry on notice.

TK: The message is that we are aware that this is happening. And we are here and we are waiting for you to inform us. T: You are making a promise to act. TK: Yes. We certainly are. T: And protect? TK: Yes. Absolutely. For 25 years, Lee-Anne has lived in independent housing managed by Scope, one of Victoria's largest disability support providers. In 1999, Lee-Anne decided that she was no longer living with mom and dad and she took the big step of moving out. For years Lee-Anne was happy, but five years ago her parents noticed a dramatic change in their daughter.

They were immediately suspicious of the way she was treated. T: When did you first notice that something was wrong with her? L: In early 2019, we started to realize that Lee-Anne was struggling with grief. We took her to the rehabilitation specialist who treated her. They did tests to find out that she had, I think, quite a few fractures, old fractures. T: What were those fractures? L: They are due to rough manual handling. Lee-Anne said she was being thrown onto the bed with her arms and legs. This doctor's report from 2019 identified those numerous fractures, but Scope management refused to take responsibility, saying there was no medical evidence that her staff caused them.

At the same time, Lee-Anne was diagnosed with osteoporosis, which, as her parents know, means she needs to be moved very carefully. But she complained that the rough treatment by her staff continued. A: There you go, do you want to grab that pillow for me? L: The worst thing was that Scope didn't recognize what we were telling them. They took no responsibility for their rough treatment of her and the situation continued. A: No, it's more lip service, right? Every time the answer you would get would be, always in her favor. You know this because we've investigated, but why would this person make that complaint if it wasn't true?

You always felt like it was basically about looking after the brand or the staff member rather than the person they're looking after. Much to her parents' dismay, Lee-Anne's condition worsened. She was in constant pain, was not sleeping and was clearly distressed. And yet, Scope repeatedly dismissed her concerns. So, in an act of desperation, Rob and Lorraine took the law into her own hands. They took justice into her own hands. A: And I thought well what the hell is going on and that's when we decided to do what we did. T: Which was what? A: We have set up the camera.

T: When you decided to put up a

hidden

camera, did you think you had the right to do it legally? A: No, we didn't, we didn't really think about it much. It wasn't until later that I thought, oh wait, it's illegal to put that camera in, but I don't care. We will suffer the consequences, if there are any, because I had to wear it, so it is better for our daughter. And that was it, in a nutshell. And as you will see, what that camera captured broke their hearts. Our home should be where we feel safest.

But for Lee-Anne Mackey, a 53-year-old

woman

with severe cerebral palsy, her sanctuary became a house of horror where she suffered pain and humiliation. Behind the walls of this group home, the unthinkable happened. The same people charged with taking care of Lee-Anne bullied and abused her. If it had not been for her parents, Rob and Lorraine, it is possible that the abuse would have continued. T: When you first saw this vision, what did you think? L: I'll call Robert, come and see what they're doing. This is unpleasant. I can't believe the staff think they can get away with treating Lee-Anne this way.

In an act of desperation, Rob and Lorraine installed a hidden camera in Lee-Anne's room. They could never have imagined what was really happening. In hours and hours of recordings, what they captured was degrading, depraved and dangerous. Caregiver 1: She said, 'fuck you, whore.' We just call her a witch. Unable to walk or talk, Lee-Anne is helpless as the women she depends on to care for her tease and play with her for fun. Caregiver 1: Did you see that? I was like that. Caregiver 2: Oh shit, you're sick, Lisa. Caregiver 1: Oh, she doesn't have a gag reflex. Monika Paniczko has been Lee-Anne's caregiver for 17 years.

Lisa Wilson, for four. Two women Lee-Anne has always trusted. What is it? monika: come take a look. Lisa: If you throw something... Monika: No, no, no. Lisa: Quick, quick. As stomach-churning as it is, it gets worse when Lisa spits the tube into Lee-Anne's mouth. Anastasia Moutsis adds to the vile behavior. L: It's just disgusting behavior. My heart just skips a beat... I've cried so much about all of this since it happened. Travis Kinghorne: I was shocked, I was horrified, I was very confrontational. Like the rest of my team, we simply couldn't believe what we were seeing.

The treatment was disgusting. Senior Detective Travis Kinghorne of Victoria Police was called in to begin what would become a two-year investigation. T: Did it make you angry? TK: It certainly lit a fire in me and my team to investigate this and hold these people accountable. The Mackeys had gathered irrefutable and disturbing evidence. This is hard enough to watch, but what Lisa Wilson does next is disgusting. T: What was the worst thing she saw in those tapes? L: When they were changing her and they had special wipes that they used and they cleaned her and then they wiped her face with that and they said 'can you smell your vagina?' Lisa: Is this for your face?

They just cleaned it with your ass. Monika: Yes, but it's okay. Now you smell your vagina. Lisa: There you go. You can eat pussy for dinner. L: I don't know how the caregivers who had cared for Lee-Anne for so long A: I don't know how they would find it funny. L: …I could do something like that. You know, she has done it. One of the caregivers always told me 'I wish you were a mother'. But she did that to my daughter. I just can't believe that. Monika: Can you smell it? Your vagina? Do you smell like fish?

Lisa: Hi Monica. Monika: Don't even joke. Monika: Damn, you're disgusting. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when fear of contracting it was at its highest, Lee-Anne was treated without a mask or gloves and then subjected to this. Monika Paniczko claims she could have the deadly virus. She then spits in Lee-Anne's mouth claiming that she wants Lee-Anne to get sick too. Monika: Maybe I have Corona? If I have it, I want you to have it too. There you have it, we both have it. TK: Insert a stick into Lee-Anne's mouth, insert a cylinder into Leanne's mouth, stick your fingers into Lee-Anne's mouth all the way down her throat, and spit into Lee-Anne's mouth, which Remember, this was during a global pandemic, and Lee-Anne is a very vulnerable person, but she was also very medically compromised.

T: It could have been a death sentence. TK: Yes, absolutely. Leigh Mayer: They were abusing her. They were violent. Leigh Mayer, Lee-Anne's disability advocate, has seen a lot of her career, but little compares to the potentially deadly position Lee-Anne found herself in. T: A worker tells Lee-Anne that she is going to give him Covid at a time when Covid for a vulnerable person could have been fatal. That seems cruel to me. LM: It's evil. Yes. And they are trying to abuse her because they knew they had the power to do so. T: How much suffering does that type of abuse represent?

LM: I think it's incalculable. I think Leanne still lives with the trauma and so does her parents. L: Relieving it was quite painful. Lee Anne uses this simple communication board by moving her eyes to our right to give a yes answer, and to our left to answer no to questions about her terrible treatment. T: Did you understand why they treated you like that? No. That's a clear no. L: That's a clear no. T: Did it destroy your confidence? Yes. L: Straight to say yes. T: We hear you crying at night in those videos. Were you crying because you were in pain?

Yes. Were you crying because you were scared? L: That's right. T: It must be scary to be trapped, to feel trapped? Yes. L: Yes. T: Is that so, is that how you felt? Caught? Yeah? Her abusers may have felt they had all the power. Lisa Wilson certainly told him so. Lisa: You're not a queen, you're not a princess, you're

disabled

. But Lee-Anne fought back and demanded her most basic human rights. T: All she wants is for someone like you to do what you promised to do. It's not that big of a request, right? This is a special day for animal lover Lee-Anne Mackey, who watches the police horses play while showing off her soccer skills.

She is here with her partner, Senior Detective Travis Kinghorne of Victoria Police. TK: This is Mauricio. It was his investigation that led to charges being brought against three

disabled

workers for their

horrific

abuse of Lee-Anne, who is disabled by severe cerebral palsy. Lisa Wilson, Monica Paniczko and Anastasia Moutsis were all guilty of assault, but as you will see, justice was bittersweet and almost denied. It's evidence that Lee-Anne's parents, Rob and Lorraine, never wanted to find. Enough, go to sleep, it's not time to get up, stop screaming. Her daughter is in obvious pain, first ignored and then abused by the people paid to care for her, in the Scope-supported group home where Lee-Anne has lived for 25 years.

A: I just have to pause it for a minute. T: It's too difficult. A: Yes, it just makes me angry. Rob and Lorraine had installed a hidden camera when their complaints to management were ignored. Faced with undeniable evidence, Scope had no choice but to call the police. T: If you hadn't installed a hidden camera, what do you think would have happened? A: We wouldn't have known about any of that. He would have been in a much worse state than he is now. T: They call you to investigate. Did they express any regret for not believing him in the first place?

TK: No, not at all. T: When you were presented with the video evidence supporting what Lee-Anne said all along, didn't you hang your head in shame? TK: They certainly didn't tell me anything. I think they have to protect their image, protect themselves. T: How is it possible that Lee-Anne can be treated that way today? Lisa Evans: What happened to Leanne is terrible and we are deeply sorry and deeply sorry that it happened in our service. Lisa Evans, who apologizes for the failings of her predecessors, is Scope's interim chief executive and current chief operating officer. She says it's a very different place under her direction, hoping to reassureLee-Anne, who now lives in a new house in Scope.

T: Well, Leanne says today that she doesn't feel safe. LE: And that's really, I think it's horrible. There's nothing worse than hearing that. Video evidence collected over 18 months makes it clear why Lee-Anne is still so afraid. It certainly seemed like everything the police would need in her case against the three caretakers that she brought to court in 2022. T: Once she's been seen, she can't be unseen. So how important was it to present it to the court? TK: Fuevital. You can't argue with it, can you? But there was a problem. Generally speaking, it is illegal to film people in private without their permission, so the biggest challenge was convincing the court to allow the covert footage to be used as evidence.

After two days of deliberations, the court finally agreed. This would be the Mackeys' biggest victory and would herald a change in the law in Victoria that better protects people with disabilities. TK: We've set a really strong precedent in saying that we can use those images to prosecute caregivers who mistreat our most vulnerable people. In 2022, the three women who abused Lee-Anne, Lisa Wilson, Monika Paniczko and Anastasia Moutsis initially pleaded guilty to assault. But his punishment was a slap on the wrist: convictions, minor fines and unpaid community service work. The most surprising thing is that they all appealed and, although the charges against Wilson and Moutsis were proven, no conviction was recorded.

As for Paniczko, an appeals court allowed him to withdraw her guilty plea and complete a diversion program, requiring her to apologize to Lee-Anne and donate to a charity of Lee-Anne's choosing. If she does so before August of this year, she will not be found guilty. L: I think they came out very lightly. They have destroyed Leanne's life and they have destroyed our lives. The only thing I can think about every night is, "I hope Lee-Anne is okay now." T: So what do you think should have happened to those women? L: Oh, I thought maybe spend a little time in prison just to understand that your freedom is important to you and Lee-Anne's is important to her too.

But they didn't understand that. T: When you saw the videos, you not only saw the mistreatment of Lee-Anne, but you also saw the staff, you saw the culture of those staff members, their attitude, their resentment. How can people like that work in a care industry? LE: They should never, ever be allowed to work with vulnerable people again. But right now there is no guarantee of that. The three abusers were sacked and temporarily banned by the NDIS watchdog from working in the disability sector. Incredibly, two of the women will be allowed to return later this year and the third next year.

But they could suffer a shock. Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme Minister Bill Shorten is furious. Shorten: I have asked the disability watchdog to consider banning them from life on the NDIS. I don't want them anywhere near this plan. They have fundamentally failed in the code and standards that are expected of the people. T: You say that, does that mean it happens automatically? Bottom line: the disability watchdog is independent, but when I set my mind to something, I will make it happen. I will do everything in my power. I have spoken to Lorraine and Robert and I think they all owe at least that much to Lee-Anne to ensure these people are banned for life from the NDIS.

T: We are talking a lot about the workers here, but what about the management? Shorten: the workforce should have been supervised. Scope should have done a better job. The impact of the abuse on Lee-Anne continues. She was diagnosed with PTSD and there are days she just can't cope. L: He often asks me: 'Mom, I want to die.' I can't stand this anymore.' And some days she just wishes she could drive and keep going, because if things don't get better I don't know how I can continue to watch her suffer and do nothing about it.

T: So you, when you say that sometimes you feel like just driving, L: Yeah, you just drive and drive. T: You and her? L: Yes. T: So, are you imagining ending your lives? L: Yes, I have. T: It is very important to admit on national television that you are thinking about taking your own life and that of your daughter. L: Yes. The last six years have been a nightmare. A: And honestly, I don't know what will happen to our daughter when we're gone. T: Can I tell you what Lorraine says and what she really wants? She wants people to actually do what she says they will do.

She's heard these things before. You know them. They want to protect her daughter. LE: Of course. That's what they were told over and over again that their daughter would be taken care of, that she would be safe, that she would be protected. All she wants is for someone like you to do what you promised to do. It's not that big of a request, right? LE: It's not. I have given my word to Lorraine, Bob and Lee-Anne and I keep it, Tara, we will make this better for them and for Lee-Anne and for all the other clients who use our services.

What happened to Lee-Anne will never happen again. We are deeply sorry and I am genuinely and sincerely sorry for what happened. Lee-Anne has a lot to live for, whether it's meeting her beloved Brisbane Lions heroes or knowing that, despite her suffering, she has made a big difference. Something that her parents remind her of in her darkest moments. A: She has indicated this several times over the years. She's had enough. She keeps looking at the sky. She wants to go with Nana. L: We tell him: 'You have a lot to teach people.' You're going to stay.

A: Yes, that's what I told him. And I say it more than once: 'No, she still won't let you in.' You have a job to do down here. 'People must be made aware of what is happening. That's why He wants you here.' Yes. T: And you too. L: Me too, yes. If this story has raised issues and you need to talk to someone, call Lifeline at thirteen, eleven, fourteen (13 11 14).