As another comment points[1] out, this is far from the worst abuse of the system: > The asylum system in the US was not dismantled because people like Edna Lon

As another comment points[1] out, this is far from the worst abuse of the system: > The asylum system in the US was not dismantled because people like Edna Long had their inter-generational wealth stolen from their children/grandchildren. It was dismantled because in the 1960s it was shown that these places were engaging in torture. The journalist who broke the Pennhurst story (that culminated in the ending of the asylum system in the US) wanted to have the grounds turned into a museum modeled after the Holocaust Museum because he had uncovered how things like, full mouth tooth removal was being used as a routine punishment method, among other things. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36831467 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36831467