.nr LL 6.5i
.PP
As a citizen who has carefully studied the Fells Acres case, I find
highly misleading Susan Kelley's Sept. 11 response to Charlie Sennott's
excellent article.
Firstly her complaining that published excerpts of her
interviews with Fells Acres children are quoted "out of context" resembles
the complaint that a coroner's report focuses on the bullet wound.
Sennott's example was far from unique; her interviews with the other children,
are replete with repeated questions, begging, subtle pressure, and
bribes. She also omits the fact
that the child Sennott cited was included in the indictments.
.PP
Secondly, she inaccurately implies the appellate courts endorsed her interviews.
In fact, the state Supreme Court in 1989 merely decided that the issue was
one of "the credibility of the children's testimony" to be decided by the jury.
Had the jury or the Court known what researchers have discovered about
child suggestibility since 1990, likely there would have been no convictions.
.PP
Thirdly contrary to her claims,
Charlie Sennott's, description of her as a "then a Boston College pediatric
nurse and doctoral candidate in child development " is accurate.
According to Boston college, in 1988, after the Fells Acres trials had
ended, she received her PhD in educational psychology for her thesis
"Responses of Children and Parents to
Sexual Abuse and Satanic Ritualistic Abuse in Day Care Centers."
.PP
Finally in spite of her not using the word "witchcraft",
many of the satanic themes
from the witchhunts of the 16th and 17th centuries appear in her papers
"Ritualistic Abuse of Children: Dynamics and Impact" (Cultic Studies
Journal, 1988) and
"Sexual Abuse in Day Care Center"(Child Abuse and Neglect, 1993),
coauthored with Dr. Rennee Brant
(the Fells Acres' prosecution expert witness) and Dr. Jill Waterman.
The earlier article describes satanic rituals which include "...ceremonies in
which adults dress in black robes, wear masks, hold candles, chant, sacrifice
animals, and participate in group sex."
She elaborates "They are sometimes programmed to kill themselves if they
ever reveal anything ..." and "Forced participation
in occult activities may cause the child to be preoccupied with the
devil, magic, and supernatural powers." The later article adds that
"Children exposed to satanic practices may also be acutely aware of
days of importance in the Satanic calendar when Black Masses or other
celebrations occurs, and may become very fearful or symptomatic at those
times..."
.PP
To date law enforcement officials have uncovered no credible evidence
of such ritual abuse. The nonsense perpetrated by Drs. Kelley and
Brant and other hucksters of ritual abuse theories has wrought misery on
thousands of innocent children and parents; imprisoned dozens of innocent
people; and tarnished the child protection profession.
.nr VS 12
.PP
Jonathan G. Harris
Newton, Massachusetts
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home phone: 617-527-9573 work phone: 617-253-5273
11 Hallron Road
Newton, Massachusetts 02162
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(
geocities.com/jgharris7)