A boy plays with seeds during therapy at the therapy and development centre for autistic kids in the Asociacion Guatemalteca por el Autismo, or Guatemalan Association for Autism, building in Guatemala City March 13, 2014. Nine children, from 6-14 years ol
IN PHOTO: A boy plays with seeds during therapy at the therapy and development centre for autistic kids in the Asociacion Guatemalteca por el Autismo, or Guatemalan Association for Autism, building in Guatemala City March 13, 2014. Nine children, from 6-14 years old, with autism are enrolled at the centre which provides activities and therapies catered to them. The centre is the only one in the country that specifically conducts programs for autistic children, according to the association. Reuters

A 59-year old man reported that he was asked to dress up and perform sexual acts when he was 11 years old by his then psychologist. He was being treated for asthma at that time and was told that the interventions were part of “play therapy.”

The complainant, named Terence Kirkpatrick, sought treatment at the Royal North Shore Hospital for his asthma. He said that we was abused several times during his appointments with Frank Stuart Simpson, reported the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

From 1967 to 1968, Simpson incorporated play therapy in the treatment of Kirkpatrick’s “emotionally induced” asthma. “Simpson would have me sit back in a chair, he would say words to the effect ‘Relax, close your eyes’,” he recalled.” I understand now that he was trying to hypnotise me. Simpson would then make me dress up, photograph me and make me perform oral sex.”

Although the appointment records of Kirkpatrick was retrieved, the employment files of Simpson have since been destroyed. Furthermore, the commision was not able to find any proof that Simpson was able to earn health credits and qualifications as a practitioner of psychology.

In 1968, Kirkpatrick informed his parents about the incident by saying that Simpson made him do bad things. They then filed a formal complaint to the hospital. However, they were told that they would take care of it and that it is better to keep the incident from authorities because doing so may involve extensive interrogation, which may be harmful to Terrence’s health. At present, the commission said that documents pertaining to the said formal complaint had also been destroyed. It is believed that Simpson have already died.

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