For more than five years, New Zealand investigative journalist Aaron Smale has been digging into the injustices - and crimes - of the state welfare system of Aotearoa New Zealand. Of all the unbelievable stories he has investigated, none is more shocking than what happened to children and adolescents at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital in the 1970s under the supervision of head psychiatrist Selwyn Leeks. This podcast contains descriptions of physical, sexual and psychological abuse perpetrated against children, as well as swearing, and frank discussions about mental health and suicide. Take care when and where you listen.
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Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
22%
Guest openness
Selective
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Signup to Generate a PitchFor more than five years, New Zealand investigative journalist Aaron Smale has been digging into the injustices - and crimes - of the state welfare system of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Recent episodes include "Trailer: Quarantine Nation" (3 March 2026, 3 minutes), "Charges Laid | 8" (17 December 2021, 21 minutes), and "The State Is A Psychopath | 7" (24 October 2021, 59 minutes).
The Lake publishes roughly daily, with episodes averaging 39 minutes across 10 episodes.
Booking probability for The Lake is 22%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. The Lake requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. The Lake's contact route on record: verified email.
The strongest fits for The Lake are Psychiatric & Addiction Hospitals. The Lake has a society audience.
The Lake is a society podcast with 10 episodes published.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
The Lake
A lethal virus. A drastic lockdown. A nation turned upside down. From the makers of acclaimed podcasts The Commune, True Story and Witi Underwater, this eight-part narrative series revisits the Covid-19 pandemic with...
Episode #8
Bonus episode: The police have made a decision about whether charges will be laid over what happened at Lake Alice - there's good news and bad news. And the Royal Commission releases findings which finally vindicate...
Episode #7
Finally the kids of Lake Alice will have their chance to be heard at the Royal Commission of Inquiry. We follow the survivors to Auckland, where they reunite with old friends and take their truth to the stand. Will the...
Episode #6
There are so many outrageous stories about Lake Alice it can be hard to sort truth from conspiracy. Often something that starts out feeling far-fetched turns out to be true. In this episode: Scientologists, deep sleep...
Episode #5
Kids could only stay at the Lake Alice Child & Adolescent for so long, and at 16 they were packed up and sent on. We follow the Lake Alice kids as they try to get on with their lives through the 80s and 90s, and meet...
Episode #4
While the NZ public has some idea of what happened to the kids of Lake Alice, the true horror of it lies in unfiltered accounts of the day-to-day. For these children, things like eating dinner, going to bed or watching...
Episode #3
A 13 Year old Niuean boy named Hake Halo smuggles a secret message to his family, written in the speech bubble of a smiling cartoon figure. It says: “fakesoka he fowa au tagi au” or, “I have been given electric shock by...
Episode #2
Rangi and Tyrone are in an institution unlike any they’ve been in before. There’s no other children, for a start, only mentally unwell and dangerous adult patients. But in 1972 they are joined by other kids, when the...
Episode #1
As Rangi Wickliffe and Tyrone Marks go through the hell of New Zealand’s state welfare system, the boys form a powerful bond of friendship. Their journey is one of neglect and mistreatment, but also adventure and...
The Lake
For more than five years, New Zealand investigative journalist Aaron Smale has been digging into the injustices - and crimes - of the state welfare system of Aotearoa New Zealand. Of all the unbelievable events he has...
Recent guests on The Lake. Study who booked and why before you pitch.
PitchCentric classifies The Lake under these industries. Guests from them are the closest fit, and each links to the best podcasts in that industry.
Shows with the most semantically similar episode content. Pitch one, pitch all; producers cluster.
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