|
LENNOXVILLE
(AD) Serge Bourassa-Lacombe was back in Lennoxville last Friday, arriving in town early in
the mor- ning from a trip that saw him cycle to Newfound- land and back in just over two
months.
This 41-year-old
former psychiatric patient has garnered much media attention since 1995, the year he
claims to have been unjustly committed to the Centre Universitaire de Santé de l'Estrie
for a period of 57 days.
Represented by the
firm Caza Caouette & Associates, Bourassa- Lacombe filed a lawsuit against the CUSE
last April for $1,888,000, claiming compensation for improper treatment, violation of his
human rights, and exemplary damages.
|
In July of 1995,
Bourassa Lacombe set up a foundation to help defray the costs of his legal bills and at
the same time allow him to continue being an advocate for the rights of the mentally ill.
His trips through
Eastern Canada and the U.S. have allowed him to discuss his case and the plight of all
mentally ill patients who are wrongfully committed and medicated against their will. The
former patient considers himself to be a «modern-day prophet» and asserts that
God provided the strength and perseverance needed to complete the trip, having left
Lennoxville with no money or fixed itinerary.
He says that caring
individuals along the way provided food and
|
shelter.
His goal?
«I
want to restore my name and prove them wrong,» he says.
Because of his
medical history, Bourassa- Lacombe says that he has been unable to find work.
«Nobody trusts
ex-psychiatric patients,» he claims. «God is using. me to teach his beliefs. The
worst sin is to prejudge.»
It took
Bourassa- Lacombe three years to finally obtain a copy of his medical file from the CUSE.
His suit alleges a number of omissions and errors in regards to his treatment.
- A copy of this suit and other
documents and letters can be viewed at his Website at www.bourassa-lacombe.org
|
