For the many of the former so-called students this news is good news because they will know that no other teenagers will endure the torment they had to go through.
A lot of the now adult victims continue to live with the emotional torment as a heavy luggage pulling them down as they struggle with the daily life.
It has been hard work to get the truth out into the public. While they were forced to remain at the facility their letter were censored. Their phone-calls were monitored as if they were held in a Supermax prison. They had no chance to get the child protection services to intervene. They had to try to survive the emotional damaging environment and for many that meant suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder most likely for the rest of their lives. One boy did not survive. He fell from a balcony to his death. If he intended it or it was an accident has never been fully investigated.
Some years ago the negative press forced the management to rename the facility and change a few details in their policies. However in the end they were unable to prevent their former clients from speaking out the truth about what went on. Even here in Europe the name became equal with emotional abuse.
August 2014 the world will be a better place.
Sources:
- Allynwood Academy Closing (Press-release - Industry Marketing firm)
- 21. The Family Foundation School (1000 places You don't want to be as a teenager blog)
- Unknown - 2004 (Today a child died blog)