30 YEARS ON: Girls drugged by a doctor in a care home are now having DISABLED BABIES
Women who were given a cocktail of drugs by a controversial doctor when they were girls in care are now giving birth to disabled children, according to extraordinary new claims.
At least six women who were drugged in their teens at the notorious Kendall House home in the late 1970s and early 1980s now have children with genetic defects.
Back in 1980, the home caused a storm when the levels of drugs being prescribed by psychiatrist Dr Marenthiran Perinpanayagam were revealed in a TV documentary.
Girls in his care were given pills designed for schizophrenics, psychotics and Parkinson’s sufferers…without having been diagnosed with any of these conditions and often held down and forced to take them. Nearly 30 years later, the children of girls in his care have learning difficulties, cleft palates, water on the brain and brain growths.
One of the women, Teresa Cooper, 41, said: “They turned us into zombies with those drugs. But we’re only just starting to find out that it may have affected our children as well.”
During 15 years as consultant psychiatrist to Kendall House - run for girls with problems by the Church of England’s Council for Social Responsibility in Gravesend, Kent - Dr Perinpanayagam wrongly prescribed girls drugs. Valium was given at four times the recommended dose for an adult male. When his methods were exposed on TV it caused outrage although it seems no action was taken.
Despite having no mental health problems or history of violence, daily logs written by staff show Teresa was on a dozen drugs without any diagnosis. And workers pinned her down to force her to take them - with other children forced to help. The brutal regime at the house is similar to the notorious “pin down” system of discipline used at the same time in Staffordshire children’s homes.
Now - 25 years on - one of Teresa’s sons was blind until the age of two and has learning difficulties. Another has unexplained lumps on his lymph nodes. And her daughter has a cleft palate and Pierre Robin Syndrome, a facial abnormality.
But, after she published a book called Trust No One about her time in Kendall House, other women who were administered drugs at the home got in touch with Teresa - and many of them also have children with abnormalities and disabilities.
She said: “Eight out of the 10 women I am in touch with have had problems like these - and the two who didn’t were not on drugs. It’s too much of a coincidence. Dr Perinpanayagam must have treated over 200 women during his 15 years working for Kendall House, so God knows how many more are out there who I don’t know about.”
Last night an expert on birth defects said drugs could influence future children, even if the victim was not pregnant at the time. Betty Mekdeci, director of Birth Defect Research for Children, said: “High doses at a certain age can have permanent consequences.”
Dr Perinpanayagam, who described himself on his notepaper as “Psychotherapist to the Home Office”, died in 1988. In 1977 he wrote to a medical journal to describe his experiments with tranquillisers on girls in an unnamed “secure home”.
Teresa said she believes he was trying out drugs to invent a way of treating problem children and make a name for himself. She said: “It is terrifying to think how many children’s lives his actions could now have affected.”
Walthamstow MP Neil Gerrard stood up in the Commons 14 years ago to attack the Church of England over the drug regime at Kendall House, which closed in 1986. Last night he said: “If the link between the drugs and these children’s conditions is proved, there must be an official investigation.”
If you were drugged at Kendall House and think it has affected your children call us in confidence on 020 7293 2232.
‘God knows how many there are’
Pill doc turned teens into zombies
In 1980, Dr Mahenthiran Perinpanayagam’s massive doses of drugs at Kendall House first came to light.
A television documentary quoted another doctor saying he thought one girl’s prescription must have been a misprint.
Meanwhile, Radio 4’s Professor Laurie Taylor co-wrote a book describing how girls at Kendall House had been “reduced to zombies” by the drugs they were given - often without a diagnosis.
By 1984 a report into the home by the Department of Health and Social Security was scathing about the drugs given to the girls.
Inspector Dr Dorothy Black said she was “extremely concerned” about “storage, monitoring and administration of psychotropic drugs”.
She wrote: “The home needs close and urgent attention.”
Two years later Kendall House closed.
Tot’s birth defect
As a frightened 13-year-old, Jules (left) was given huge doses of Valium and other drugs in Kendall House.
Her son was born with a life-threatening birth defect. Jules said: “He has a cyst on his brain’s temporal lobe. He has a crater the width of a golf ball on his head. I didn’t think this had anything to do with Kendall House until I heard about other children.”
Trapped & drugged
“Lisa” Remembers being sent to the “timeout room” - a tiny room with bars on the windows and a lock on the door. There, she was given massive doses of drugs.
She said: “My 16-year-old daughter was born with hydrocephalus. She also has heart problems and neurofibromatosis - little tumours on her nerve endings.
“It’s always been in the back of my mind that all the crap they gave me was the cause of my daughter’s problems.”
We want answers
“Sarah” Believes a string of problems with her two sons are down to the drugs she was given at Kendall House.
She was held down and given injections of Haloperidol and up to 120g of Valium a day. Now her oldest son is dyslexic, with learning difficulties and behavioural problems. And her youngest son has been diagnosed with dyspraxia and dyslexia, and may have Asperger syndrome.
She said: “We all want answers.”
Wasted memories
“Claire” Spent three years in Kendall House in the late 1970s, where records show she was given drugs including antipsychotic Sparine.
She said: “I was like a zombie for a lot of the time, and a lot of my memories have gone. And all my memories before Kendall House have gone.
“When my daughter was born, she had hypermobility syndrome, which is a genetic disease that affects the joints.”
Comments
Add a comment
Next entry: No investigation over abuse allegations - Gravesend Messenger
Previous entry: Who Would You Trust? The Cuckoo Or A Senior Public Sector Worker/Politician by John
On 6th Feb 2009 at 11:00 PM Teresa said...
Comments from Kelly. For some reason the comments section is having problems so adding them manually. Can you all let me know if you get any error messages when posting. Thankyou
Posted by Kelly
Hi Karen
Well i’d really like to thankyou Karen and you really don’t know by how much you’ve made me feel very happy and you’ve made me cry but for good reasons i really can imagine diane being like that and wished so much that i knew her for the person she actually was to me but she knew i loved her she was always my favourite sister i think maybe i’d always known but she was never allowed to tell me it was me that actually told her that i knew she was my mum and i’d never seen her smile so much i was about 13 yrs old then.
I remember her saying to me well you can tell mum now that i’m your mum and you want to call me mum i was so confused and did’nt want to hurt anyone but she understood as she always did. Diane actually died on mothers day and i am sure it happened that day for a reason and her funeral i have never seen so many people she had touched there was lots of people there with the same problems as Diane but it was so nice that they all turned out for her and i did frighten a few of them as Diane lived in manchester when we drew up in the car they would’nt take their eyes off me as i am the spitting image of her they came up to me after to say how much i scarred them they thought i was her.
Karen i have never known who my father was i don’t know if you or anyone else would have known or maybe it’s a thing i’m never supposed to know.
Have you got children karen?
Do you know why we were in the sickbay i always thought my nan was with diane when she had me i know i was a big baby maybe that was the reason. Anyway thankyou again you’ve told me things nobody else have and there has been alot of missing bits to a puzzle take care love kelly
Posted by Kelly
Hi
I,ve just phoned my aunt who i thought would have know what social services Diane was under but she cannot remember
they did’nt have too good a childhood and i think they have blocked alot out.
And sadly my nan and grandad died the same year as diane and we never found anything to do with diane ever being in care which looking back does seem strange because of other things that they had kept.
We lived in gillingham kent and thats where diane was born and lived so maybe it might have been gillingham social services?
how do i go about requesting my records from gravesend do i phone the hospital sorry i’ve never had to do anything like this before but i really feel that i need to thankyou kelly
On 6th Feb 2009 at 11:15 PM Teresa said...
Kelly its great Karen has been able to give you some news on your mother
http://www.dvh.nhs.uk/page.asp?node=487&sec=Freedom_of_Information_and_Data_Protection
This is the information page for obtaining your records
Gillingham would be a good place to start as the social services are likely to have information on you as you were born at KH and your mum was under social services. If Gillingham isnt the correct one Kent Social Services the head office maybe able to help
Do let me know if you need any more information
I appologise for the problem with the comments section.
On 7th Feb 2009 at 10:06 PM karen said...
hi kelly,im glad ive been of some help to you,unfortunatly i dont know who your dad is,its something diane never spoke about she was quite a private person and never really spoke about her family life,i always remembered her as a very kind person,she was not a trouble maker and liked to keep herself to herself,although we did have makeup sessions together,she was damm good at putting it on and used to help me do mine as i was also a makeup fanatic in my young years,she always kept herself nice hair always done nice,like i said she was a very pretty girl and im sure you are too as you say you look like her,i dont know about anyone else being there when you were born but your nan very well could have been,i only know that mrs gregory took her to the hostpital and was with her at the birth,it was common knowledge as a member of staff came and told us all that diane had had a little girl with mrs gregory present and that all was well,i dont know why you and diane were kept in sickbay probably as it was the only room she could be alone with you,we all slept in dorms usually 4 to a dorm which were locked at night,it would not have been appropiate to put a new mum and baby in a dorm with other girls, i cant remember where diane came from but i agree with teresa to try gillingham social services first for your mums records,teresa is the best one to help you with anything like that as she has alot more knowledge and experience in that field than i do,please have a chat to her ok shes a good person and will try and help you anyway she can,in answer to your quiestion yes i have 2 sons one is 28 the other is 17 and i have 3 grandchildren 2 boys and 1 girl and i am married,i live in west sussex not far from brighton,how about you do you have children at all kelly,if you feel you need to follow this through to get yours and dianes records then you should go for it for your own peace of mind,i wish you all the best and please let me know how you get on ok,i will always be here if you need a chat and so will teresa ok,take care,love karen xxxxxxx
On 8th Feb 2009 at 02:38 PM Kelly Kingshott said...
Hi Karen
Thanks for your reply i am going to phone social services tomorrow to try and find out about getting dianes records.
I am married and have 2 children my son is 13 and my daughter is 6 going on 15 bless her we live in winchester hampshire.
i went and got teresa’s book Trust no one yesterday and finished it in a few hrs i could’nt put it down. It was a unbelieveable place and the staff i just don’t know how they live or lived with themselves i can’t believe these people have’nt been locked up for what they did.
Thanks again Karen take care i will let you know how i get on. love kelly xxxxxxxxxxxx
On 10th Feb 2009 at 04:11 PM karen said...
hi kelly,did you call social services yet,i ve had teresas book for a year now and only just had the courage to read it now,im on the last chapter,it brought back alot of harsh memories for me and has been very upsetting to read,what i put up with in the 3 years i was there was awfull enough,but reading her book she had it much harder than me,im amazed shes come through it sane,she is a very strong person.anyway i hope you have luck with your search for information,dont give up ok,karen XXXXXXXXX
On 10th Feb 2009 at 06:05 PM Teresa said...
Hi Karen Hi Kelly
xxxxx
Karen I think we all had it hard and no matter what, KH had no right to do it to any of us. They were ALL in the wrong and at the end of the day we deserve justice. There is no excuse for what they ALL took part in. Its alot to take in for everyone and I know it has come as a shock xxxxx I have been dealing with it for 18 years now and still there are things that upset me or come as a shock to me.
I have good and bad days but when Im on my bad days I try and stay out of the way because if I had my way I would put all the staff involved and others including all those who failed me and the girls over the years in public stocks and pelt them very hard with every rotten veg, take pics of them and put them in every paper and shame them in front of the world and in front of their families so their children, friends and everyone they know can see what monsters they truly are.
Kelly stay strong and let us know if you get the SS info you need.
Karen how are you?
Teresa xxx
On 11th Feb 2009 at 10:10 PM Kelly Kingshott said...
Hi teresa Hi Karen
I phoned social services on Monday and the lady that i spoke to seemed very helpful and is sending me all the forms out that i need to recieve our files. i think they will probably need my birth certificate and Dianes Death certiicate well copies of them.
Teresa i really can believe you have bad days i think anyone who stayed at kendall House will have but you are doing a brilliant job fighting for what needs to be put right when i have a bad day i take alook at my kids and a cheeky smile normally wins me round and makes me realise how lucky i am.
Teresa when i get these files you are more then welcome to copies of them if it will help you at all.
When i spoke to my Aunty she said that she remembered a Mrs law when she went to visit Diane she thought she might have been in charge around the time Diane was at Kendall House.
Take care to both of you
love
kellyxxxxxxxxxxx
On 12th Feb 2009 at 10:35 PM karen said...
hi kelly,thats good posative news about your ss files,i hope you get them as they will probably answer some more of your quiestions,you will probably have to let them see the certificates and they will probably charge a small fee for the copying of the files as they dont normally give out the originals,mine cost me £10.00 2 years ago,miss law was the head of kendall house and not a pleasant woman and in league with dr perin re-the drug regime at KH,i went to KH in may 1975 and im almost certain diane was already there when i got there,she was at KH a good few weeks after she had you and then she left with you,we never knew or was told where she had gone with you,so hopefully the files if you get them may answer all those quiestions for you,please continue to let us know how you get on and good luck,i will keep my fingers crossed for you,you know where we are if you need to talk,im sure if needed if you email teresa personally she would always call you if you need further advice in private ok.love karen xxxx
On 12th Feb 2009 at 11:16 PM Teresa said...
Hi Kelly
Yes you will need birth and death certs although I am not certain as to wether a child can obtain the records of a parent unless your adopted. I know there were people fighting to get that changed as it seems unreasonable that a child in care isnt able to for example obtain their parents files and records when the adopted child can.
I will do a check on the latest information of this x
Kelly, it is my children that keep me going and the plight of the other girls and their children because I have seen the damage KH done.
Kelly I would really apreciate copies of anything you have or get including your mums diary. All but one girl has either sent me copies of their files or have sent me what they do have.
It will all be confidential and wont be used without your full consent. It would be helpful as I am trying to draw up a full picture of KH and the lives of the girls in order to get justice for them and thier children and perhaps so they can at least say they know they are not alone and that someone listened or that someone understood. Not many can understand what we, our children or your mother and even what affect it may of had on you but to know we are not doing it alone helps alot.
There is so much we need to know and we can all help each other xxxx
I can call you for a chat anytime or you can call me and your more than welcome to ring me if you email me on .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) initially
I am very saddened by what has happened to your siblings and I know this must be hard on you but we are all here for you if you need us
Teresa xxxxx your a credit to your mum and to us
On 13th Feb 2009 at 11:17 AM Kelly Kingshott said...
Hi karen
I got my forms to fill in they said it would take around 40 days and it is still £10 thats fine.
I was always told that we went straight from Kendall House to my nan and grandad’s and that diane left me about 2 weeks later i don’t believe she left me i think she was forced to in one way or another so i was brought up as my nan and granddad’s child they never did adopt me my nan wanted to but my grandad refused to have the medical.
The family was very embarassed about Diane having me so alot of lies were told and were made to be told which is really sad there was talk of me going up for adoption when we was at kendall House but it never happened my grandad refused that too and said to bring me home.
I don’t know where Diane went from there i know she used to flit in and out but she was never allowed to get too close to me i remember being a child and spending the summer Holidays up in manchester with my aunty and diane used to pull up in a taxi and she would kidnap me for the day i used to love it but i was never allowed to tell my nan and i remember when she was in hospital the place she loved the most because she felt cared for there and she was’nt lonely i used to run home from school to get there to see her for 10 mins but i could’nt tell my nan that i went she used to always come down to kent to dry out i don’t know why she tried to move back there a few times but it never worked for her i think she was just always running i think the longest she ever stayed in one house was about 2 years i think she came back to kent to get support of my nan but my nan was always trying to shield me from her she did’nt ever need to she did’nt see the actual damage it was doing to Diane which is so sad she never really had the support that she deserved and needed.
She used to phone up at nite when she had been drinking saying that they had stollen her baby.
When i spoke to ss about rying to find my youngest sister i eventually got through to my other sisters old social worker who was a lovely lady and who had alot of time for diane and understood her she said that diane used to go in screaming and shouting at her one day after she had been drinking then would turn up the next day with flowers and chocolates for her apologising for her behaviour.anyway you take care and i will let you know how i get on with everything thanks for listening to me.love kellyxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On 13th Feb 2009 at 04:13 PM karen said...
hi kelly,i will always have time to listen to you ok,its very sad diane never got the true help she needed,and i dont believe for one minute she ever left you deliberatly,im sure it was just circumstances and maybe she had no choice at the time,at least you were kept in the family and was able to have some contact with her,its so sad and i really feel for you,i really liked diane and no matter what problems she had she always had time for me at kendall house,i wish i could give her a big hug and you too kelly,you have been very brave and this all must be hard for you to deal with in alot of ways,but at least you have your own family now and to help keep you strong,take care,love karen xxxxxxxxx
On 27th Feb 2009 at 05:10 PM pandora said...
hi girls hope u all ok.kelly keep your chin up and teresa thankyou 4 perserving in what u r doing, wish i had the determenation and strength to carry on like u have over the years xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxpandora
On 10th Mar 2009 at 08:01 PM karen said...
hi kelly,not heard from you for a while and just wondering how you are,any news on the ss records yet,anyway hope alls well and thinking of you,keep in touch ok,love karen xxxxxxx
On 29th Mar 2009 at 04:32 PM kelly kingshott said...
Hi Karen,
Hope you are ok sorry have’nt replied sooner i am still waiting for records they should come anyday now.
they said 40 days so i am assuming that it’s 40 working days feels like a life time i am no good at waiting for anything me even buses.
Karen did diane used to run away when she was pregnant with me do you know because i remember starting work years ago in a bar and the landlady saying that she knew my mum and they found her in sheerness when she was pregnant with me her words was she was out of it now it could all add up maybe she was’nt out of it be her own choice maybe she had runaway again i will let you know as soon as i get reports hope you are ok take care love kellyxxxxx
On 30th Mar 2009 at 07:55 PM karen said...
hi kelly,nice to hear from you,hope you get your ss records soon,im pretty sure she did run away when she was about 5 or 6 months pregnant,i only remember her doing it the once and when she was brought back she was kept in sick bay after that and i did not see much of her untill you were born,she even used to have her meals in there,as to if she was out of it or drugged when she ran away is very possible but i personally dont know or remember if she was at that time,as i myself was often drugged up against my will so some things i can remember and some i cant,anyway hope you and your family are ok,love karen xxxxx
On 31st Mar 2009 at 02:30 PM kelly kingshott said...
Hi Karen,
good to hear back that was right i think because i’m sure she said she was about 6 months pregnant then when they found her in sheerness sorry i don’t mean to keep badgering you with questions it must be really difficult and i hope i am not upsetting you at all just i keep getting little bits to my jigsaw xx
We are all fine thankyou we are off to london easter to see dancing on ice which we can’t wait for.take care love kellyxxxx
On 2nd Apr 2009 at 05:16 PM karen said...
hi kelly,your not upsetting me at all,im glad to help and dont mind what you ask,but obviously i can only give you information that i know about and remember,i know your jigsaw is a big one and needs piecing in,it will take time but hopefully you will get there in the end,enjoy your easter and the ice show,chat soon,love karen xxxx
On 4th Apr 2009 at 08:14 AM Kelly said...
Hi Karen,
I have just recieved a letter from council they have obtained dianes files but would like me to go up to Kent to go through them with a service manager after which they will be happy for me to have a copy of any or all information they have there. Did you have to go and see someone when you got yours?
Take care have a good Easter love Kelly x
On 6th Apr 2009 at 01:11 PM karen said...
hi kelly,yes i had to go to brighton to see my records first and they had a social worker there to,its because you could read something that is upsetting,on there advice i did take a close friend with me for support,im glad i did as my ss records did upset me when reading them for the first time,they then sent me copies a couple of weeks later,let me know when you decide to go ok,and make sure you get copies of everything.good luck,love karen xxxxxx
On 13th Apr 2009 at 04:36 PM patience oconnell said...
..my mum wass in that terible place in the late 70s.i didnt know how horific it wss .somthing needs to be done about that place and the people who ran it!!
my mum later when on to have twins but sadly thay died at birth and i cant help but wonder if this has anything to do with what happend at kendel house
my mums name is PAULA JOLLY and i dont know if anyone remembers her .i think some acton needs to be taken to get justise none of yous should have had to go though that.mrs gregory!! my mum has spoke about her to!! is she still alive?>>mrs gregory because she needs to be prosicuted so dose eveyone else who abused girls at kendel house .. WRITE BACK IF ...patience ,,paula jollys daughter .xxx