shani,
I could easily forget how awful my PhD was and do nothing, but I don't ever want anyone else to feel the way I did. There must be more people like me who want to help.

You're right about enforceability. I can't think of anything that would make a uni listen except bad publicity, and that's not really an option if you want to stay in academia.

But what if a group existed to support and help you?

Exactly!

But how?

If we come out publicly we will suffer the same consequences as if we made a complaint through the uni. I’m guessing that no academic wants a student or employee that may complain. And is there not an attitude that only less academically able students complain? And if we name the institutions and academics we could end up in court.

After the 3 most horrible years of my life, I contacted the Head of Department in confidence to raise issues regarding the supervision of my PhD. It came as a surprise when I was threatened by my internal examiner. I was told that making a complaint will have ramifications for my career, all academics know each other, things could be made difficult for me, and that I should just walk away with my PhD.

I'm keen to raise the issues I have with my supervisor (not necessarily with an official complaint) because I watched several students before me suffer the same bullying and poor supervision and I don't want anyone else to go through that. I'm now a post-doc in a different field at a different university. Could the academics at my previous university destroy my career?