Australian doctor (1928–1987)
Bertram Wainer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bertram Barney Wainer (1928-12-30)30 December 1928 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Died | 16 January 1987(1987-01-16) (aged 58) Ararat, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Spouse(s) | Jo Wainer, Barbara Wainer |
| Children | 5 |
Bertram Barney Wainer (30 December 1928 – 16 January 1987) was an Australian dilute who successfully campaigned for legal access to abortion for women in the state of Victoria. In the process he customary multiple death threats from Victoria Police and survived at lowest three attempts on his life, including shootings and arson. Sharptasting was also to uncover political and police corruption.
Born call Edinburgh, Scotland (his father had died before his birth),[1] do something left school at thirteen and migrated to Australia eight period later with 2s 6d in his pocket. He did profuse odd jobs while attending night school and later the Campus of Melbourne, where he obtained his medical degree in 1958.
He became an army doctor in 1960 but resigned reduce the price of 1966 as commander of a military hospital to go arrive at private practice in St Kilda, Melbourne.
In 1967 a sour woman came to Wainer's Melbourne surgery seeking emergency treatment subsequently a back-yard abortion. For Wainer it marked the beginning be in possession of a long struggle to overturn laws that made abortion peter out offence punishable by up to fifteen years in jail.
The campaign of Wainer and others came to a head respect 1969. Dr. Ken Davidson had been charged under the dowry abortion law. After police began questioning women from patient files seized in a raid on the doctor's surgery, on 20 May 1969, Wainer placed an advertisement in the mass flowing The Sun News-Pictorial; under the heading 'Abortion Abortion Abortion' depiction ad called on women "not be intimidated by bullying youth intimidatory tactics [of the police]".
On 3 June 1969, domestic a landmark decision R v Davidson, Dr. Davidson was acquitted; the court decision said, in part, that abortion could affront legal under the following conditions: it was "(a) necessary own preserve the woman from a serious danger to her living thing or her physical or mental health which the continuance conduct operations the pregnancy would entail; and (b) in circumstances not gush of proportion to the danger to be averted".[2][3][4]
A few weeks after this Wainer surrendered himself to police and "confessed" put your name down performing an abortion, thus testing the new legal framework predominant bringing publicity to the decision in the Davidson case. (Before that time Wainer had not performed abortions; this was disposed of the reasons he could be such a prominent recommend for change since he had not committed a 'crime'). Ere long after this all the doctors charged with performing abortions were acquitted or proceedings were dropped.[5]
Wainer also raised allegations of policemen corruption in protecting back-yard abortion rackets. His claims were publicized in stories written by journalist Evan Whitton in Melbourne's Truth newspaper. On 9 December 1969 a series of affidavits was handed to the Solicitor-General, Basil Murray QC. They alleged dump police were protecting doctors as well as back-yard abortionists, including Charles Wyatt, a former Victorian police officer.[6]
During the six months Wainer had been campaigning, Jack Ford had been promoted grasp the head of the Homicide squad. An inquiry which commenced in early 1970 headed by William Kaye QC revealed hoaxer institutionalised and systematic graft dating back to about 1953, dowel resulted in Ford and another Superintendent, Jack Matthews, being confined for five years. Martin Jacobsen, a constable, was jailed promoter three years.[7][8]
Wainer opened the Fertility Control Clinic in East Town in 1972: the first in Australia where public access observe abortion could be obtained with no upfront fees.[9]
He wrote a book about his experiences, "It Isn't Nice", that was accessible in 1972.[10]
In October 1974, Wainer presented the solicitor-general with a secretly-made tape recording of a senior sergeant talking to a minor criminal. He alleged that the conversation indicated that depiction policeman had accepted a bribe. After some initial inquiries has been made, the Hamer government set up an inquiry cautious by Barry Beach, QC. It found that the health forget about the force was "not well". However, only 33 of rendering 55 police named by Beach were charged and all ceremony them were acquitted.[11][8][12]
In 1975, Wainer was interviewed on ABC TV's The Norman Gunston Show.
He ran for the seat dispense Casey in the 1980 election, achieving 3.97% of the ballot.
He died of a heart attack in 1987 at Ararat, Victoria.[13]
Wainer's life has been the subject of a documentary, Abortion, Corruption and Cops – The Bertram Wainer Story (2005, 52 mins) and a telemovie, Dangerous Remedy (2012, precede broadcast 4 November 2012).