Today I read the sad story of two day care people who were convicted and imprisoned because of the vivid imagination of children and the culture of anxious America.
Mr. and Mrs. Keller had a day care program in Travis County (Austin), Texas and were wrongly accused of horrific child sexual abuse based on bad testimony by an emergency physician and ginned up Satanic Ritual abuse claims that were created by improper interrogation of very young children. Satanic Ritual Abuse is born of goofy ideas about demon worshiping cults that victimize children in 1st world countries, to be distinguished from real child abuse criminal activity with real evidence of child abuse, sexual and otherwise, that happens all the time. Many of the inmates I watch over in the Brown County Jail are accused of molesting children. Plenty of real cases of pederasts and pedophiles, cases particularly of incest in the home.
The Satanic Ritual Abuse prosecutions never had anything other than fantastic stories by little kids who were coached by energetic and motivated fanatics. Did he touch you here, maybe? How about did they dissect frogs and make you eat frogs and dog feces and drink urine? Did you have to watch videos of people having sex on the kitchen table? You can tell me, dear, you’re safe now, and your mommie is right here, anxious for you to tell what you know, wanna take a break for some ice cream before you tell me more?
Don’t get me started–this is junk science just like other things we discuss. How does one create a junk science web of unreliable evidence in a criminal prosecution? Any different from any other inquiry that seeks to find reliable evidence to confirm or deny the premise? Bad Methods driven by intellectual passion and outcome or confirmation bias produce dishonest and unreliable professional activity in a number of contexts–law, science, politics, policy making, social sciences, criminal investigations–it’s always about valid and relevant and reliable evidence, isn’t it?
Research has shown that children are very suggestible in the interview setting and can invent and expand stories if they get positive feed back from the interviewer.
The Kellers, after 21 years in prison, were two people who were victims of the goofy Ronnie Earle, DA of Travis county, now released after their lives were destroyed. Mr. Keller is likely to be released, is now 72, Mrs. Keller 63.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/11/texas_da_who_prosecuted_tom_delay_has_mud_on_face_again.html
Same tragic tales come from other prosecutions in the faddish Satanic Abuse days of the 80s. For example did you know that was Janet Reno’s area of activity before she ascended to AG of the US of A. She was a real crusader, playing fast and loose with the evidence.
http://www.iwf.org/news/2432422/Janet-Reno-and-Her-Record-as-a-So-Called-Champion-of-Children
In the Austin case the emergency physician recanted his original testimony from the trial after going to some seminar and realizing he was wrong in his assessment of a little girl who was the sentinel or index case. Other than his testimony on whether she was physically violated,which now is only allowed from people who are trained in depth, there was no corroborating evidence of any abuse at all, just wild stories by little kids and mendacious prosecutors playing to the public false fear of demons and covens.
The Austin prosecution followed the same incompetent path that prosecutions in other jurisdictions across the country did, CA, WA, FL, MA, MN, during the 1980s. All the junk prosecutions built on the suggestibility of children and the myths of fantastic, horrific, demonic, Satanic Ritual Abuse (really wild imaginative stories) juiced by bad interview techniques.
In the pantheon of great writers who debunk junk science is Elaine Showalter, Lit prof at Princeton who would deny being a scientist at all–she is just a student of history and the culture. Fancies herself a flaming feminist who focuses on female lit and authors, but she is a sensible flaming feminist and is interested in goofy cultural trends–thus her efforts on hysterical epidemics that are a poison in the culture. Hysteria and True Believer mass movements share some characteristics, a search of an answer, insecurity, anxiety, lack of confidence or fear of lack of control.
Ms. Showalter wrote a wonderful book Hystories: Hysterical Epidemics and Modern Media (1997 Columbia U Press) that takes down the mythology and noise created around hysterical epidemics of recent history, but she starts at another point, the modern medicine history of hysterical epidemics initially studied at the Salpetriere Hospital in Paris (still operating, was the hospital where Princess Diana died) by Jean Martin Charcot, the most prominent neurologist/psychiatrist of the time (lived 1825-1893). Charcot fancied himself the expert on hysteria and he was a very influential medical man, Freud was one of his students and France was an important center of medical studies on neurology and psychiatry during the later 19th century.
At that time Charcot had a group of mostly women who did performances of their hysterical behaviors–to audiences. Some of the hysterical behaviors actually ended up as theatrical behaviors by the actresses went to the hospital to see Charcot’s patients.
He was the master of a troupe of hysterics who were under his control and highly suggestible. They were hospitalized and treated as part of his practice. Two thirds of Charcot’s hysterics were working class women. Kind of remind you of how to get suggestible people to acquiesce? Can’t disappoint the great Dr. Charcot, can we? The curtain rises, the hysterics do their thing.
Less than 10 years after Charcot’s death his colleagues had discredited his work and asserted that the hysterics and the study of hysteria was created by great Charcot himself. Intellectual passion come to mind? Nocebo/placebo effect? Suggestibility? Manipulation, tunnel vision fallacy, confirmation bias?
So read Showalter’s essay on the content of her book, even if you won’t take the time to read the book.
http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/s/showalter-hystories.html
In her book Showalter looks at hysterical epidemics in history, landing in the 19th century, as a set up of for taking down the ones of recent vintage like chronic fatigue syndrome, Gulf War Syndrome, Satanic ritual abuse, recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse, and multiple personality disorder. She has a lot of fun with exposing Charcot, as discussed above. Then she details the secret to getting a good hysterical epidemic going in modern social media times. Charismatic advocate, secondary gain, and professional gains for treaters being three important factors.
I can’t say enough good things about Showalter’s analysis and dissection of the hysterical epidemics.
I would also recommend the writing on nutty psych fads and junk science by one of the most insightful and erudite of psychiatrists of recent times, sensible too (a welcome thing indeed in a psychiatrist) Paul McHugh. McHugh is Emeritus prof and former chair of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins and has written convincingly about the junk science and faddish nature of psychiatry practice. If there were statues at the JunkScience.com institute, I would want to consider Einstein, Bohr, Bacon, Aristotle, but I can also make a good case for Richard Feynman, Paul McHugh, and Elaine Showalter.
http://www.albany.edu/~scifraud/data/sci_fraud_3152.html
Excuse my ignorant reference to Lyme being caused by a ricketsial bug.
WRONG. Lyme disesase is caused by a bacteria named borrelia burgdorferi. Should have looked it up before I winged it. The bulls eye skin rash is called erythema migrans, and isa striking feature.
Fatigue syndrome is similar to the “vapors” of the 19th century, and one of the things I find curious is why chronic fatigue patients have pain as a big part of the picture. Fatigue should be unrelated to pain.
The most proven management of Chronic Fatigue is a moderate exercise program. I have no doubt in my mind that Chronic Fatigue and Depression are co factors for the patient and sense of loss of control then causes another round of fatigue and depression.
As for mysterious viral illnesses that cause fatigue–sure, that can happen.
However no etiology has been identified. I had a family member who was recently retired from a busy professional practice who developed a fatigue and fibromyalgia type syndrome.
Fibromyalgia is what I would call a hyperalertness syndrome. People start to just get nutty about what hurts and what’s interesting is they hurt on the prominences of their body. So just do a little experiment with yourself.
Sit in a chair and think about your body. You will notice that the parts of your body that come to your attention are the pressure points. If you look at map of the fibromyalgia trigger points you will not they are critical structural points for movement which may mean they are places where bursitis or tendonitis can be part of the picture or they are prominences that you might think of as potentially pressure points.
If a fibromyalgia person finds a doc who will inject every prominence that they say hurts, then the process becomes a cyclical thing. Functional problems are unavoidable in a population that is looking for comfort and security in a culture where physicians and care givers are the shaman.
Syndrome is the key, it describes a cluster of signs and symptoms that has not been attributed to a causal factor. Koch’s postulates don’e work or Bradford Hills tox rules.
Syndromes are part of the spectrum of functional diseases and that would include the hysterical epidemics.
Conversion is considered an unconscious process that is psychiatric. You decide on that one. Malingering and Munchausen are a different game altogether, kind of like the group of people who are attracted to a disability producing diagnosis.
it becomes a self fulfilling thing, with lots of secondary gain problems.
As for Lyme disease–very bad thing, caused by a ricketsia bug carried by a tick, causes heart and neurological problems of major import after a viral type illness that is often associated with a unique skin manifestation that looks like a gigantic target.
Lyme is everywhere, not just the east coast.
Some of the worst diseases on the planet are caused by ricketsia. Dengue, typhus, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, many of the Tropical Hemorrhagic fevers. The reason why a smart patient on an island has Doxycycline in the bag–works for a lot of the bad boys, including malaria, with very low side effects. One of my favorite antibiotics, great for community acquired pneumonias.
No, we don’t have Lyme Disease. But I watched a documentary some years ago on this, albeit an American production, and suggested the same thing to my GP but no.
I occurred to me that maybe my so-called influenza symptoms may have been glandular fever, but not having had blood tests during the episode of illness there is no way to confirm this.
What is most puzzling is that I am still stricken with all the symptoms of fatigue, muscular aches and pains, inability to sleep followed by extended periods of sleep upon minor exercise.
It is discombobulating!
(Sorry :] love that word and it doesn’t take much to make me laugh, so now I’m chuckling…real good)
luisa
A possible cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome may be Lyme disease. Do they have Lyme in the Down Under, even?
Whilst I agree with everything in this post, I had a little pause at Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
In the Australian spring of ’98, I developed what looked to all intents and purposes to be influenza. Being a mother of three, full-time working in my husband’s business, very busy with various charities and Early Learning programs, I did what most mothers do: I continued to work and maintain my rigorous schedule…until day four when I was unable to move despite all my efforts. That morning I stayed in bed and slept for several hours. But busy people cannot afford to be ill and I had many engagements to fulfill that afternoon and evening.
I was in my late 40s, hardly ever been ill and the idea of not being able to fulfill my schedule was anathema to me.
Two weeks later I was struggling. I felt endlessly tired. Every movement was a struggle. I thought because I had not given myself the required rest, I would need more time.
One year later, I was no better but considerably worse. My then husband was a medical practitioner and I cajoled him into sending me to test just about everything (he told me I was just growing old!). The results showed all was clear.
I have never recovered. I had to give up work although I was too proud to give up everything but I still had three children to raise (the youngest was only six at this point, the eldest 16). I struggled every day and was in deep pain, as if I had been beaten. Every muscle hurt. My bones felt as if broken. I vomited and dry-retched frequently from my efforts only to then collapse in exhaustion.
I am now hardly ever able to leave the house. I am always fatigued. Yes, fatigued, not tired. This is real. I am not prone to hysterics. I do not exaggerate. No amount of hard work had ever been too much for me. I was able to go for close to 18 hours every day and with a small amount of sleep; would embrace my day. The busier I was the happier I would be. I was energetic and dynamic. Now I struggle.
What is this thing that I have? Is it Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? It has all the hallmarks of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. If it is not, what is it?
In every other respect, I am the picture of health. If you were to meet me, there is no indicator that I can hardly do anything or that I spend days sleeping, in acute pain.
I have read all the literature. I have been to every website. Believe me, if this were not happening to me, I would not believe it myself.
I wish it were not real. But then, what is this thing?
The man behind the prosecution of the couple in the story was none other than Ronnie Earle.
Earle was the same practitioner of prosecutorial misconduct that went after Tom Delay: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/359032/delays-vindication-texass-shame-editors
Read “No Crueler Tyrannies” . Sickening! Social workers and prosecutors with Munchausen’s syndrome.
AHA! My doctor gave me a prescription for some satin pills to help my cholesterol. I threw the prescription away. I don’t want to be taking little Satans into my body…
My doctor must be in league with these people.
Hmmm. Maybe. Like Reno, she was pretty sharp but none too attractive. Maybe she is Reno’s long lost daughter?
I call the Keller’s case and others like it community madness. In the cases I know of there is not a real central villain. Many people graduated from law school, Janet Reno and the guy who did the Amerault case were Harvard graduates. Even appellate judges as in Massachusetts just could not see the absurdity of the results from the witch trials. The Freidman case involved a community of highly educated successful people on Long Island. It begs the question as to the meaning of education.
Opps!!!
You were Janet Reno’s co-worker?
Small point. South Ronaldsay is in the Orkney Islands.
The Shetlands are about 100 miles farther north.
South Ronaldsay (Shetland islands – North Scotland) child abuse scandal Wikipedia Feb 1991.
“Liz McLean, the social worker who led the interviews with the children, advocated controversial new theories from the United States on child abuse and interviewing techniques. Orkney social workers based their removal of nine other children solely on claims made by three of the W children against the parents of the nine children, and the local minister, the Reverend Morris MacKenzie.[7] McLean had also been involved in the 1990 Rochdale “Satanic Abuse” case. She was later sharply criticised by Lord Clyde in the official inquiry into the South Ronaldsay case, and in another investigation into similar allegations in Ayrshire.[1]
A former coworker gave me a 20-year-old book to read at work one day. It was about a similar so-called cult of raping pedophiles and child murders and the so-called cover up of the investigation and “botched” prosecution. It too, was based on retrieved memories from the “lucky” victims who weren’t sacrificed and dismembered. This book was written in the height of child murder cult hysteria. I took the book and put it in my desk and handed it back a few weeks later saying that I just couldn’t find the time to read it.
This woman also swears that a local police insider told her that about once a month a semi pulls into a local truck stop, filled with kidnapped child prostitutes. Members of a pedophile group get coded emails telling them when the truck will be in town. Of course, the police are paid to turn a blind eye. She also regularly visits a web site where every child “abduction” is marked on a map of the world. Updated daily! I glanced at it. Included was every child disappearance from kidnapping to runaways. She is definitely “obsessed”. However, she thinks she is the “normal” one, and that others just needed more awareness.
Some people seem to have a need to worry about the small percent of actual abductions way out of proportion to their likelihood. Never mind that something like 95% of all child molestation is committed by familiars such as uncles, nephews, or prospective second or third husbands. It’s like alien abduction or ghost nuts, they’ll believe any story no matter how far-fetched because it fits their worldview that there are cults all over stealing children for sacrifice and pedophilia.
The Keller’s ruined lives and 21 years in jail is a black mark against a prosecutor? I hope they can sue the DA’s involved with this fiasco for everything they have and will have.
The witch hunts still exist, just in the form of overactive social services types who create child abuse cases and will not be deterred by facts.