Latest news with #MichaelWoodward
The Guardian
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘We'll keep fighting': search persists for priest thought to be murdered on Pinochet torture ship
In the weak winter sunshine forensic investigators in white suits cast long shadows as they stepped between gravestones at Playa Ancha cemetery in the Chilean coastal city of Valparaíso. But as the rhythmic click of spades and the throb of an excavator faded, a third search for the remains of Michael Woodward reached a frustrating conclusion. No trace has ever been found of Woodward, an Anglo-Chilean priest who is thought to have been murdered on the Esmeralda, a Chilean navy corvette which Gen Augusto Pinochet's bloody regime used as a floating torture centre after its coup d'état on 11 September 1973. But almost two years since the Chilean state assumed responsibility for finding the missing victims of Pinochet's regime for the first time, cautious, methodical progress is being made. 'The fact that they managed to carve out a space for a permanent, ongoing public policy commitment is no mean feat,' said Dr Cath Collins, director of the transitional justice observatory at Diego Portales University in Santiago. In August 2023, the National Search Plan for Truth and Justice became an official state policy, with the aiming of centralizing information, finding the remains – or trace the final movements – of 1,469 disappeared people, and seeking reparations for their families. In the harrowing, uncertain days after Pinochet's coup, Miguel Woodward, as the tall, cheerful priest was known to his Chilean friends, laid low in the valleys around the city. Born to an English father and Chilean mother in Valparaíso and educated in the UK, he had returned to Chile to become a priest, joining a leftist political movement under the banner of socialist president Salvador Allende's Unidad Popular coalition. Early on 22 September 1973, Woodward was kidnapped from his home by a navy patrol and taken to the Universidad Santa María, which had become a makeshift detention centre. He was beaten and submerged in the campus swimming pool, before being transferred to a naval academy and then on to the Esmeralda, where he is thought to have died of the injuries sustained under torture. 'That's when our search began,' said Javier Rodríguez, 58, an affable, wild-haired construction worker with an unbreakable will to find the priest he remembers vividly as a family friend. Rodríguez founded the Friends of Miguel Woodward organisation, and has set up a cultural centre in Woodward's name, a narrow room a few doors down from where the priest was abducted, where a faded poster promoting the National Search Plan is stuck in the window. 'If Miguel were alive now, he would be marching for Palestine, for the Mapuche [Indigenous people], for all injustices,' he said. 'They murdered him because they were afraid of him.' Since democracy returned to Chile in 1990, human rights cases have made halting progress through the Chilean courts. Woodward's sister, Patricia, was able to file a case in 2002, but it was soon closed for lack of evidence. Eventually, when it was reopened on appeal, 10 low-ranking officers were implicated in his torture. Two were convicted, but neither ever served jail time. Michael Woodward's final moments have been pieced together from eyewitness accounts and testimonies, but those of many others have not – and activists fear that time is running out. 'The easy cases are all done,' said Dr Collins, 'Some of the people who might have been going to talk have died.' In Chile, the armed forces have long tried to obstruct progress, either by remaining silent or handing over partial or misleading information. Progress has been achingly slow. 'The state never did enough to find any of the disappeared, but now the resources are there,' said Rodríguez. 'Maybe the [search] plan came late, but it represents the state coming to settle its debts.' Searches are being carried out at 20 sites up and down the country, but as yet, no finds have been made – and some fear that progress could soon be checked. 'Of course there is going to be disappointment that there haven't been any big discoveries yet, but if the plan survives the next administration, that's almost an achievement in itself,' said Dr Collins. In November , Chileans will vote in a presidential election in which three of the four current leading candidates offer rightwing agendas to replace leftist president Gabriel Boric, who ratified the national search plan. Woodward's last home, painted bright blue, still stands on a Valparaíso street corner; neighbours still use 'Miguel's house' as a reference when giving directions. And despite its dark history, the Esmeralda is still in service in the Chilean navy. It is frequently picketed by protestors at ports around the world, returning periodically to haunt its victims from Valparaíso's wide bay. Chile's forensic medical service says that further searches for Woodward's body will be carried out in the cemetery in Playa Ancha imminently. 'If we find Miguel, the fight doesn't end there,' said Rodríguez. 'He lived with us and we have a history with him, but he's just one of those we are missing – there will still be hundreds more to find.' 'We'll keep fighting until we have justice, whatever that may look like.'
The Guardian
29-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘We'll keep fighting': search persists for priest thought to be murdered on Pinochet torture ship
In the weak winter sunshine forensic investigators in white suits cast long shadows as they stepped between gravestones at Playa Ancha cemetery in the Chilean coastal city of Valparaíso. But as the rhythmic click of spades and the throb of an excavator faded, a third search for the remains of Michael Woodward reached a frustrating conclusion. No trace has ever been found of Woodward, an Anglo-Chilean priest who is thought to have been murdered on the Esmeralda, a Chilean navy corvette which Gen Augusto Pinochet's bloody regime used as a floating torture centre after its coup d'état on 11 September 1973. But almost two years since the Chilean state assumed responsibility for finding the missing victims of Pinochet's regime for the first time, cautious, methodical progress is being made. 'The fact that they managed to carve out a space for a permanent, ongoing public policy commitment is no mean feat,' said Dr Cath Collins, director of the transitional justice observatory at Diego Portales University in Santiago. In August 2023, the National Search Plan for Truth and Justice became an official state policy, with the aiming of centralizing information, finding the remains – or trace the final movements – of 1,469 disappeared people, and seeking reparations for their families. In the harrowing, uncertain days after Pinochet's coup, Miguel Woodward, as the tall, cheerful priest was known to his Chilean friends, laid low in the valleys around the city. Born to an English father and Chilean mother in Valparaíso and educated in the UK, he had returned to Chile to become a priest, joining a leftist political movement under the banner of socialist president Salvador Allende's Unidad Popular coalition. Early on 22 September 1973, Woodward was kidnapped from his home by a navy patrol and taken to the Universidad Santa María, which had become a makeshift detention centre. He was beaten and submerged in the campus swimming pool, before being transferred to a naval academy and then on to the Esmeralda, where he is thought to have died of the injuries sustained under torture. 'That's when our search began,' said Javier Rodríguez, 58, an affable, wild-haired construction worker with an unbreakable will to find the priest he remembers vividly as a family friend. Rodríguez founded the Friends of Miguel Woodward organisation, and has set up a cultural centre in Woodward's name, a narrow room a few doors down from where the priest was abducted, where a faded poster promoting the National Search Plan is stuck in the window. 'If Miguel were alive now, he would be marching for Palestine, for the Mapuche [Indigenous people], for all injustices,' he said. 'They murdered him because they were afraid of him.' Since democracy returned to Chile in 1990, human rights cases have made halting progress through the Chilean courts. Woodward's sister, Patricia, was able to file a case in 2002, but it was soon closed for lack of evidence. Eventually, when it was reopened on appeal, 10 low-ranking officers were implicated in his torture. Two were convicted, but neither ever served jail time. Michael Woodward's final moments have been pieced together from eyewitness accounts and testimonies, but those of many others have not – and activists fear that time is running out. 'The easy cases are all done,' said Dr Collins, 'Some of the people who might have been going to talk have died.' In Chile, the armed forces have long tried to obstruct progress, either by remaining silent or handing over partial or misleading information. Progress has been achingly slow. 'The state never did enough to find any of the disappeared, but now the resources are there,' said Rodríguez. 'Maybe the [search] plan came late, but it represents the state coming to settle its debts.' Searches are being carried out at 20 sites up and down the country, but as yet, no finds have been made – and some fear that progress could soon be checked. 'Of course there is going to be disappointment that there haven't been any big discoveries yet, but if the plan survives the next administration, that's almost an achievement in itself,' said Dr Collins. In November , Chileans will vote in a presidential election in which three of the four current leading candidates offer rightwing agendas to replace leftist president Gabriel Boric, who ratified the national search plan. Woodward's last home, painted bright blue, still stands on a Valparaíso street corner; neighbours still use 'Miguel's house' as a reference when giving directions. And despite its dark history, the Esmeralda is still in service in the Chilean navy. It is frequently picketed by protestors at ports around the world, returning periodically to haunt its victims from Valparaíso's wide bay. Chile's forensic medical service says that further searches for Woodward's body will be carried out in the cemetery in Playa Ancha imminently. 'If we find Miguel, the fight doesn't end there,' said Rodríguez. 'He lived with us and we have a history with him, but he's just one of those we are missing – there will still be hundreds more to find.' 'We'll keep fighting until we have justice, whatever that may look like.'
9 News
28-05-2025
- Health
- 9 News
Australian-developed pill could ease distressing behaviours in dementia patients
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here An Australian-developed drug to ease the debilitating symptoms of dementia is being trialled in several states throughout the country. Dementia can lead to behavioural and psychological changes, affecting a majority of patients during their illness, causing them distress and putting pressure on family and caregivers. "We think of dementia as a loss of memory, but that's nowhere near as difficult or frustrating to look after than changes in personality and behaviour, including agitation and aggression," said Associate Professor Michael Woodward, Austin Health Aged Care and Memory Clinic Director. The new drug called KNX100 is designed as an alternative to antipsychotic medications. (9News) The new drug called KNX100 is designed as an alternative to antipsychotic medications which carry significant side-effects and are considered a last resort when non-pharmaceutical interventions fail. "It's important that we're able to develop new treatments that are targeted and that don't have the side-effects particularly drowsiness that we encounter," Trial Principal Investigator Dr Peter de Wet said . "We need smart medications that don't just sedate a person, don't just chemically restrain them," Associate Professor Woodward said. A total of 60 dementia patients who are living at home are being recruited to participate in trials across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The drug has already been shown in earlier trials to be safe and tolerable. "It interferes with an enzyme (in the brain) that we know is associated with the signalling pathway that leads to agitation, aggression and other symptoms that are distressing to patients with dementia," he said. The innovation originated from research at the University of Sydney which led to spin out company Kinoxis. "We're providing a solution that we believe is a significant unmet need," "We aim to further develop and invest in this to take it as far as possible towards approval," said Hugh Alsop, Kinoxis Therapeutics CEO. Patients in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia can find out more on the study's website . national Australia dementia health CONTACT US Property News: 'Stressful': Perth mum's dilemma after rental mix-up.
ABC News
22-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
New Alzheimer's drug approved in Australia
Andy Park: A new drug promising to treat the early stages of Alzheimer's disease has been approved for use in Australia, the first of its kind in nearly 25 years. Donanemab , sold under the brand name Kisunla, is a medication which can potentially slow the progress of the disease and maintains a patient's independence. However, there have been some concerns about the drug's effectiveness overseas and its high cost, as Kimberley Price reports. Kimberley Price: It starts with forgotten names and missed appointments, but eventually takes away your ability to carry out even simple tasks. More than 400,000 Australians live with dementia, with Alzheimer's disease the most common type. For two decades, there has been little progress in treating it. But today, a new drug has arrived which may change that. Michael Woodward: This is a significant breakthrough. It's the first time we have a disease-modifying drug for Alzheimer's disease. Kimberley Price: That's Associate Professor Michael Woodward, head of dementia research at the Memory Clinic at Austin Health in Melbourne. The drug he's talking about is Denanimab, a medicine which clears away amyloid plaques, the molecules which are believed to cause the symptoms of Alzheimer's. Michael Woodward: So it means that people will deteriorate more slowly because the amyloid sets off a process that causes the symptoms of forgetfulness and loss of our ability to look after ourselves. So if we use this drug, particularly in the earlier stages of Alzheimer's disease, we can't completely cure the disease, but we can slow it down substantially. Kimberley Price: Donanemab has some major limitations. It can cause swelling or bleeding in the brain, which can be life-threatening. And those taking the drug require regular MRI scans to monitor for side effects. It's also only approved for use in patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's who are dealing with initial memory loss and mood changes. Michael Woodward: It's not approved for moderate or severe dementia due to Alzheimer's disease because unfortunately by then the amyloid has done too much damage. We need to remove the amyloid and stop the other cascade of Alzheimer's pathology at an early stage if possible and that's where this drug has been approved. Kimberley Price: Sydney-based geriatrician Professor Peter Gonski believes Donanemab needs to be used as part of a larger treatment plan. Peter Gonski: We do have to see the patient as a person and we need to treat them looking at a whole lot of different strategies in trying to improve their lives and continue their good quality life as long as possible. And I think that this is a very important addition to our treatment plan. Kimberley Price: And while the drug has limitations, Professor Gonski says it's an important new tool. Peter Gonski: We have not really had medication development for 25 to 30 years and although we have had some medications that have slowed down the progression of the condition, sometimes even improved people in the early stages, they really haven't changed the actual underlying pathology that occurs in Alzheimer's disease. They've basically changed the chemicals in the brain. Kimberley Price: While Donanemab has been approved by the TGA for use in Australia, it's currently not covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. While no price has been listed, in the US the drug costs the equivalent of $47,000 Australian dollars per year. Andy Park: That report by Kimberley Price and Luke Radford.
9 News
22-05-2025
- Health
- 9 News
Australia approves breakthrough new treatment to slow early Alzheimer's
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A first-of-its-kind treatment to slow the symptoms of early Alzheimer's disease has been approved for use in Australia. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has registered pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly's drug Kisunla (donanemab) for use by those with early symptomatic Alzheimer's who also have a presence of amyloid plaque, or protein clumps in the brain. A build-up of plaque causes issues associated with the neurodegenerative disease, like memory loss and impaired thinking. A first-of-its-kind treatment to slow the symptoms of early Alzheimer's disease has been approved for use in Australia. (Supplied) The drug is administered through a monthly infusion over a maximum of 18 months and works to clear plaque from the brain. Kisunla is the first new treatment for early Alzheimer's in 25 years and the first treatment registered in Australia that works to address the underlying cause of the disease, according to Eli Lilly. An estimated 600,000 Australians currently live with Alzheimer's with about 450,000 of those able to be tested to assess their eligibility. This has been hailed as a breakthrough by the researcher who led the clinical trials in Australia. "As clinicians, we've been waiting a very long time to be able to offer patients a treatment of this nature," Austin Health's Head of Dementia Research Professor Michael Woodward said. An application to include the drug on the PBS will be reviewed in July. (Supplied) "There is an important window of opportunity when it is possible to detect, diagnose and treat Alzheimer's disease with the goal that patients can maintain their independence for longer. "The availability of donanemab is a major development at a time when more and more Australians and their families are being impacted by this insidious disease." The drug is not listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), meaning that it would cost patients $4700 per session or $84,600 over the recommended 18 months. An application to include the drug on the PBS will be reviewed in July. Donanemab is approved in the United States, Japan, China, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Singapore, Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. health national Australia drugs Alzheimers Disease CONTACT US Auto news: Can you use your phone in the car if it is mounted?
