Sheila Cassidy
Encyclopedia
Dr. Sheila Cassidy is an English
doctor, known for her work in the hospice movement, as a writer and as someone who, by publicising her own history as a torture
survivor, drew attention to human rights
abuse in Chile
in the 1970s.
, and attended the Our Lady of Mercy College
in Parramatta, a suburb of Sydney. She began her medical studies at the University of Sydney
and completed them at Oxford University in 1963. She wanted to become a plastic surgeon
but couldn't keep up with the 90-hour week, so she went to practise medicine in Chile during the government of Salvador Allende
.
regime. She gave medical care to a political opponent of the new regime who was being sought by the police. As a result, she was herself arrested by the Chilean secret police
, the DINA, and kept in custody without trial. During the early part of her custody, she was severely tortured in the notorious Villa Grimaldi
near Santiago, Chile
, in order to force her to disclose information about her patient and her other contacts.
On her release from custody and return to the UK, Cassidy's description of her experiences, including her account of her torture on the parrilla and her imprisonment, did much to bring to the attention of the UK public the widespread human right abuses that were occurring at the time in Chile. Her story appeared in news media and in her book, Audacity to Believe.
She stood up for her Christian values.
), Cassidy continued to practise in 1982, she became Medical Director of the new St Luke's Hospice in Plymouth
, a position which she held for 15 years. She then went on to set up a palliative care
service for the Plymouth hospitals.
Cassidy has written a number of books on Christian
subjects and has been involved with a number of charitable organisations such as patronage of The Prison Phoenix Trust
. In her book "Confessions of a Lapsed Catholic" she outlines her reasons that caused her to witdraw her allegiance from the Roman Catholic Church.
Sheila Cassidy now has a Form named after her in St Joseph's Catholic & Anglican High School
, Wrexham
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
doctor, known for her work in the hospice movement, as a writer and as someone who, by publicising her own history as a torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
survivor, drew attention to human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
abuse in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
in the 1970s.
Early life
Cassidy grew up in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and attended the Our Lady of Mercy College
Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta
Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta , is a private, Roman Catholic, day school for girls, located in Parramatta, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is adjacent to St...
in Parramatta, a suburb of Sydney. She began her medical studies at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
and completed them at Oxford University in 1963. She wanted to become a plastic surgeon
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
but couldn't keep up with the 90-hour week, so she went to practise medicine in Chile during the government of Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende Gossens was a Chilean physician and politician who is generally considered the first democratically elected Marxist to become president of a country in Latin America....
.
Torture
In 1975, Cassidy was caught up in the violence of the PinochetAugusto Pinochet
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte, more commonly known as Augusto Pinochet , was a Chilean army general and dictator who assumed power in a coup d'état on 11 September 1973...
regime. She gave medical care to a political opponent of the new regime who was being sought by the police. As a result, she was herself arrested by the Chilean secret police
Secret police
Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
, the DINA, and kept in custody without trial. During the early part of her custody, she was severely tortured in the notorious Villa Grimaldi
Villa Grimaldi
Villa Grimaldi was a complex of buildings used for the interrogation and torture of political prisoners by DINA, the Chilean secret police, during the government of Augusto Pinochet. The complex was located in Peñalolén, in the outskirts of Santiago, and was in operation from mid-1974 to mid-1978...
near Santiago, Chile
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, in order to force her to disclose information about her patient and her other contacts.
On her release from custody and return to the UK, Cassidy's description of her experiences, including her account of her torture on the parrilla and her imprisonment, did much to bring to the attention of the UK public the widespread human right abuses that were occurring at the time in Chile. Her story appeared in news media and in her book, Audacity to Believe.
She stood up for her Christian values.
Later life
After a period of recovery from the physical and psychological effects of her ordeal (during which she briefly became a nunNun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
), Cassidy continued to practise in 1982, she became Medical Director of the new St Luke's Hospice in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, a position which she held for 15 years. She then went on to set up a palliative care
Palliative care
Palliative care is a specialized area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients...
service for the Plymouth hospitals.
Cassidy has written a number of books on Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
subjects and has been involved with a number of charitable organisations such as patronage of The Prison Phoenix Trust
The Prison Phoenix Trust
The Prison Phoenix Trust is a charity registered in England that offers help to prisoners through the disciplines of meditation and yoga, working with silence and the breath. The PPT encourages prisoners – and prison staff – to take up a daily practice, and supports them with classes, free books...
. In her book "Confessions of a Lapsed Catholic" she outlines her reasons that caused her to witdraw her allegiance from the Roman Catholic Church.
Sheila Cassidy now has a Form named after her in St Joseph's Catholic & Anglican High School
St Joseph's Catholic High School
St Joseph's is a secondary school in Wrexham, Wales, located on Sontley Road.-History:St Joseph's Catholic High School was formerly a Catholic secondary school but joined up with the Anglican church in 2006....
, Wrexham