Victim of sexual abuse in hiding terrible offender after the hospital sends Personal Information Stranger

Mel – whose name was changed in this story to protect her safety and privacy – has been sexually assaulted by her father since she was a young child in adolescence.

She said she was strongly involved with bands and the stories she tells about the violent and brutal things that he and his associates have risen to leave him even more terrified and more traumatized.

The abuse stopped only when he left home before he turned 15.

Years later after reporting abuse, her father was sent to prison for 10 years.

She was scared that he – or one of his colleagues – would come after her, seeking revenge because he closed it.

She was granted a permanent protection order, forbidding her father to contact her directly or by any other person.

Mel also changed his name and spent every day since then doing his best to make sure he couldn’t be traced.

Her abuser was released from prison about five years ago and even with all her safety measures on the spot, she never ceased to look over her shoulder.

But any safety modest manner he felt was snatched earlier this month, after a trip to the Emergency Section.

“I stayed on the glass in my yard. I thought I succeeded, but a few days after that, I had to resort to the emergency section, ”she said.

Was treated and discharged without any problem.

Days later, her phone rang.

“I had no idea who I was talking to, because my number is not reinforced and is completely private and outside all the records,” Mel said.

“The lady said” I went to the hospital the night you entered … and I am caught in a situation and I wonder what to do about it … I have all the discharge acts here. “

“I was shocked, I asked what information is in the documents and he told me” your address, your phone number and, obviously, I had to read things and find your details. “

The woman offered to meet Mel and return the documents. But Mel was too worried that she could be connected by her father or her associates.

The woman agreed to return the information to the hospital – which he did a few hours later.

The telephone call turned Mel’s world up.

“I was like” f *** – do you take me? This is a complete violation of privacy … through the only place where my information should be kept the safest, “she said.

“There is no guarantee if something in the situation will happen – but the fact is that my privacy has been still violated.

“I feel like I lost the safety net I had to build around me … I am literally a duck in the meeting, hoping and waiting for nothing.”

Both Mel’s legal name and the name he used were in his medical documents. It has also been ensured that its personal circumstances – including protection orders and extreme confidentiality – have been reported.

“I spent seven hours trying to reach (New Zealand health) you have the hour – at the top of the head, I made 15 or 16 calls to different numbers, explaining the seriousness of the situation and (to) bring them to attention, but I did not receive any call back,” she said.

“Then I addressed another agency, who sent through E -mail to someone and said” you have to contact this person seriously. ” Finally, someone called me.

She said that health NZ acknowledged the error and said that the discharge documents were wrongly put in the other patient’s file.

The agency invited Mel to a meeting to continue to discuss the incident and the actions they took.

Mel did not feel that he would fully recognize the level of risk for her safety.

“This has actually brought problems in my life that they did not offer to rectify or solve it,” she said.

“The correspondence system now and the changes I make have no effect on my life … I do not give two flights about what they do in their walls … My information has been drained, my security was broken … I was exposed.

“The hospital was a safety place – I don’t want to approach another hospital again in my life and if that kills it – so.

“What they did is … to play Russian roulette with my life. For the last week, I gave myself a step. I don’t sleep. I reinstalled rooms around the house.

“At this moment I live in a prison – one that I was not convicted of.”

Health NZ did not answer specific questions about the incident.

“We recognize the suffering that this error has caused it and deeply regrets that the information was sent wrong to another person,” said the director of hospital services and specialized services for the area where Mel lives.

“We were in regular contact with the affected person and we asked for directly. We take advantage of this opportunity to do this again.

“An investigation indicated that this was a human error that involves information about a person and we make changes in our e-mail process accordingly.”

Mel aims to make a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner.

The guardian could not comment directly about Mel’s case, but he generally spoke about violations.

“In this case, we cannot comment on the specificity without hearing from those involved, but if the woman is not able to solve the problem directly, this is certainly the kind of complaint in which we try to negotiate a solution between the parties,” a statement said.

“An organization or natural person who intentionally or accidentally offers unauthorized or accidentally access to one’s personal information would be a violation of confidentiality.

“Some information is more sensitive than others and it is more likely to cause serious damage. Medical and health information can be some of the most sensitive information that people can provide. “

Anna Leask He is a reporter based in Christchurch, who covers national crime and justice. She joined Herald In 2008 and worked as a journalist for 18 years, with a special emphasis on family and gender violence, children’s abuse, sexual violence, homicide, mental health and young crime. She writes, hosts and produces the awarded podcast A moment in the crimelaunched monthly on nzherald.co.nz

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