A: No. Most are not. But there is a significant and disturbing minority that are witch hunts and have sent innocent people to long prison terms
Q: What are signs of a witchhunt case?
A: Bizarre allegations (costumes, animal killings, assaults with knives and sharp implements when there is no physical evidence or bogus evidence).
Q: Are all imprisoned in witch hunt cases innocent?
A: In many cases they almost certainly are. But just because a case has some or all of these elements does not guarantee the accused is innocent. It is possible (and has happened) that some cases have began with credible and spontaneous allegations of abuse only to have therapists or investigators contaminate the children's stories. Such contamination appears often as the bizarre stories or unabused children claiming they were also abused.
Also it appears that in some "witch hunt cases" accusing children were likely abused by a third party (often a close relative who is not accused).
Q: Who are some witchhunt victims?
A: Below is an excerpt from the testimony of Carol Hopkins before the
U.S. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, Subcommittee on
Children and Families. May 25, 1995.
Witness Background:
I am honored to have been invited here today to testify on the Child
Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. By profession, I am a teacher and
school administrator. In 1991 I was appointed Deputy Foreman of the
San Diego County Grand Jury.
Because of a number of constituent complaints forwarded by
Congressman Duncan Hunter as well complaints by hundreds of citizens,
the Grand Jury undertook a review of the juvenile dependency system in
San Diego County.
Hearings were held and legal counsel was provided by
California Attorney General, Dan Lungren. The case of Alicia Wade and
her family was the subject of six weeks of Grant Jury hearings.
The grand Jury issued a number of reports. "Families in Crisis",
"The Case of Alicia W.", "Problems, in Foster Care", and "Child Sexual
Abuse, Assault, and Molest Issues".1 Those reports have beer requested
by hundreds of government agencies and professionals across the
country as well as Holland England, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, and other
countries. As a result of the expertise acquired, I have been invited
to testify numerous times before the California State Legislature,
before the Congressional Subcommittee on Childhood, Youth, and
Families,2 and to serve on the advisory boards of the National
Coalition for Child Protection Reform and the San Diego Legal Corp. I
am a member of the San Diego District Attorney's Ad-Hoc Committee on
Child Abuse.
...
[the meat]:
REDRESS
Finally, in the name of justice I must address the tragic end result of
the passionate zealotry fostered by the "child abuse industry", packaged
at its advocacy conferences, and fanned into hysteria in communities
across the country. We have seen the costliest and perhaps most unjust
trials in our nation's history. They are known by their names McMartin,
Little Rascals, Kelly Michaels, Fells Acres, Country Walk, Bobby
Finje, Akiki, and on and on the Child Care/Satanic Ritual Abuse
Trials of the past decade have brought shame to America as we re create
the tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials.
But if American history has repeated itself in a dishonorable way,
perhaps it can repeat itself honorably as well: four years after the
Salem Witch Trials, the colonial legislative body of Massachusetts
adopted a resolution calling for a day of repentance and fasting in
memory of the victims.
If the Massachusetts of 300 years ago can admit its mistakes and regret
the damage done to individuals, then surely we can at least start to
address our own situation, in which our legal system has arguably
inflicted far greater damage than that of our colonial forebears. A
California appellate justice told the Grand Jury he had no doubt that
there were hundereds of innocent men who had been unjustly convicted.
Innocent individuals have been imprisoned for years,8 children have been
traumatized by the creation in their young minds of horrible events
which never occurred, and once happy and whole families have been
destroyed. Our institutions have also been battered by the loss of
public confidence in prosecutors and courts whose moral authority has
been depleted. Public resources have been drained, due to the
astronomical costs of these trials and the subsequent civil damage
awards to the innocent as these convictions are overturned one by one by
one.
This body can not individually address these false abuse prosecutions,
children forever lost to a parent through false allegations of molest or
abuse during custody disputes, or the rending of families by the now
recognized phenomena of False Memory Syndrome. The Congress CAN
establish a bipartisan commission to study and report on guidelines to
remedy cases where convictions or the destruction of families was based
on now discredited expert testimony or on the testimony of children or
adults who have been contaminated by coercive questioning or therapy.
Further, January 14, 1997 marks the 300th anniversary of the
Massachusetts Day of Repentance. I would call for that day to be a
national day of contrition for the injustices which we have perpetrated
and remembrance for the victims of that injustice.
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASES WITH COMPELLING EVIDENCE =
OF FALSE CHARGES AND CONVICTIONS
1983 1995
Since 1983, the following individuals in the United States have been charged,
tried, convicted and/or imprisoned for sexual crimes against children.
Their cases contain compelling evidence that accusations and guilty verdits
resulted from some significant combination ofinvestigative error, therapeutic
malpractice, prosecutorial misconduct or malfeasance, and a climate of
community hysteria regarding sex abuse charges. In light of such evidence,
and in the interest of justice, these cases need immediately to be reexamined.
I. INDIVIDUALS
CURRENTLY IMPRISONED =
(MANY SINCE THE 1980'S),
OR CHARGED BUT FREE ON BAIL:
Malden, Massachusetts: Gerald Amirault
Violet Amirault
Cheryl LeFave
Lowell, Massachusetts: Ray Souza
Shirley Souza
Pittsfield, Massachusetts: Bernard Baran, Jr.
Bronx, New York: Nathaniel Grady
Great Neck, New York: Jessie Friedman
Washington County, New York: Al Blanche
White Plains, New York: James Watt
Dayton, Ohio: Jennie Wilcox
Edenton, North Carolina: Robert Kelly
Katheryn Dawn Wilson
Hendersonville, North Carolina: Michael Allen Parker
Charlie Stepp
Tabitha Taylor
Travis Gordon
Terry Huey
Gary Huey
Melvin Rivis
Stewart Beach, Florida: James Toward
Dade County, Florida: Francisco Fuster
Harold Snowden
Houston, Texas: Bruce Perkins
Austin, Texas: Daniel Keller
Francis Keller
Kern County, California: Donna Sue Hubbard
Brenda Kniffen
Scott Kniffen
Debbie McCuan
Alvin McCuan
John Stoll
Grant Self
Anthony Cox
Pleasanton, California: Neil Shumate
Roseburg, Oregon: Ed Gallup
Chip Gallup
Washington: Debbie Runyon
Marilynn Malcom
Robert Roberson
Connie Roberson
II. INDIVIDUALS
WHOSE CHARGES WERE LATER DROPPED; =
WHO WERE TRIED BUT ACQUITTED;
CONVICTED BUT VERDICTS OVERTURNED ON APPEAL =
(MANY AFTER SERVING PRISON TIME);
CONVICTED AND SERVED FULL PRISON TIME; OR WHO DIED IN PRISON:
Sequim, Washington: Cora Priest
Ralph Priest=
Seattle, Washington: Bill Swann
Kathy Swann
Manhattan Beach, California: Virginia McMartin
Peggy McMartin Buckey
Peggy Ann Buckey
Ray Buckey
Babette Spitler
Mary Ann Jackson
Betty Raidor
Micheal Ruby
Sacramento, California: Gary A. Dill
John Homan
Kern County, California: Gerardo "Johnny" Gonzalez
Cheryl Gonzalez
ill Thomas
Leroy Stowe
Bradford Nokes
Mary Nokes
Kathy Ann Scott
Ricky Pitts
Marcella Pitts
Wayne Forsythe
Gina Miller
Grace Dill
Colleen Bennett
Clifford Pitts
Clovette Pitts
Timothy Palomo
Marjorie Grafton
Betty Palko
Steven Wong
George Wong
Hazel Wong
Victor Surber
Lyman Leavitt
Theresa Cox
Johanna Cox (died in prison)=
Stephanie Jenkins
Pamela Weatherly
Melvin Weatherly
Ralph Lopez
Allen LeCain
Kelly Leroy
Idalena Lopez
Larry Walker
Rod Phelps
David Duncan
San Diego, California: Dale Akiki
Carson City, Nevada: Martha Felix
Felix Ontiveros
Reno, Nevada: Ruben Babayan
El Paso, Texas: Michelle Noble
Gayle Dove
Chicago, Illinois: Deloartio Parks
Sandra Fabiano
Jordan, Minnesota: Helen Brown
Tom Brown
Robert Benz
Lois Benz
Niles, Michigan: Richard Barkman
Rebecca Barkman
Cincinnati, Ohio: Lee Fogel, Jr.
Edward Sukol
John Schroeder
Kim Garmarnik
Dade County, Florida: Ileana Flores Fuster
Bobby Fijnje
Steward Beach, Florida: Brenda Williams
Edenton, North Carolina: Darlene Harris
Elizabeth Kelly
Scott Privott
Robin Byrum
Shelley Stone
Memphis, Tennessee: Frances Ballard
Betty Stimpson
Rev. Paul Shell
Jeffery Stimpson
Clarksville, Maryland: Sandra Graig
Jamal Graig
Essex County, New Jersey: Darren Nottensteiner
Margaret Kelly Micheals
White Plains, New York: Jeannette Martin
Bronx, New York: Jesus Torres
Albert Algarin
Franklin Beauchamp
Alberto Ramos
Herminia Albo
Great Neck, New York: Arnold Friedman =
(died in prison)
Lafayette, New York: Denise Perrigo
*Cities, counties and states where individuals lived at the time the
charges surfaced.
Compiled by:
Debbie Nathan
Journalist
El Paso, Texas