One other point: I don't want to sound elitist or anything, but the McMartin case is one of the very few cases where we actually have a highly-trained mental health professional (Dr. Summit) who has spent decades studying child sexual abuse, who did actually spend extensive time with the parents and children allegedly victimized by this cult (and not just the one woman who initially came out with the allegations either). Especially for a forum like this, isn't it worth it to at least hear out what he has to say?...
The publication in this obscure journal ("Journal of Psychohistory") doesn't exactly lead me to think he's some paragon in the field. Do you have a source showing he spoke to the kids? How do you explain one of the kids sending an apology to the LA Times years later? Those kids felt pressured into saying they were abused. That's why the jury acquitted when they saw video of the interview process. The kids made up completely fantastical and ridiculous stories to please the detectives.
Well he definitely is a real Professor of Psychiatry, and clearly from the article he spent extensive time with a number of the alleged McMartin victims, as well as bear witness to the details of the archeological dig beneath the school (REALLY worth noting that according to Dr. Summit, the approximate layout of the tunnel system beneath the school, as described by a girl claiming to be a victim BEFORE the dig, apparently matched up almost exactly with the actually layout of the tunnel system that was discovered by Dr. Gary Stickel during his dig beneath the school.) Also the Journal of Psychohistory is definitely not mainstream, but it is published by Psychohistorian LLoyd DeMause. DeMause is an interesting resource himself, he has studied and written about cult abuse quite a bit, and is a believer. Just posted an article by him that I think is worth reading.
(REALLY worth noting that according to Dr. Summit, the approximate layout of the tunnel system beneath the school, as described by a girl claiming to be a victim BEFORE the dig, apparently matched up almost exactly with the actually layout of the tunnel system that was discovered by Dr. Gary Stickel during his dig beneath the school.
He doesn't even show us a geologic survey image, let alone any actual tunnels. Again, if there are tunnels under there, why haven't they been physically located? Why don't we have photos of them? Does he have documentation to even prove this girl explained the layout of the tunnels? The complete lack of anything verifiable is a huge, glaring red flag.
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Surviveandheal15 ago
One other point: I don't want to sound elitist or anything, but the McMartin case is one of the very few cases where we actually have a highly-trained mental health professional (Dr. Summit) who has spent decades studying child sexual abuse, who did actually spend extensive time with the parents and children allegedly victimized by this cult (and not just the one woman who initially came out with the allegations either). Especially for a forum like this, isn't it worth it to at least hear out what he has to say?...
Millennial_Falcon ago
The publication in this obscure journal ("Journal of Psychohistory") doesn't exactly lead me to think he's some paragon in the field. Do you have a source showing he spoke to the kids? How do you explain one of the kids sending an apology to the LA Times years later? Those kids felt pressured into saying they were abused. That's why the jury acquitted when they saw video of the interview process. The kids made up completely fantastical and ridiculous stories to please the detectives.
Surviveandheal15 ago
Well he definitely is a real Professor of Psychiatry, and clearly from the article he spent extensive time with a number of the alleged McMartin victims, as well as bear witness to the details of the archeological dig beneath the school (REALLY worth noting that according to Dr. Summit, the approximate layout of the tunnel system beneath the school, as described by a girl claiming to be a victim BEFORE the dig, apparently matched up almost exactly with the actually layout of the tunnel system that was discovered by Dr. Gary Stickel during his dig beneath the school.) Also the Journal of Psychohistory is definitely not mainstream, but it is published by Psychohistorian LLoyd DeMause. DeMause is an interesting resource himself, he has studied and written about cult abuse quite a bit, and is a believer. Just posted an article by him that I think is worth reading.
Millennial_Falcon ago
He doesn't even show us a geologic survey image, let alone any actual tunnels. Again, if there are tunnels under there, why haven't they been physically located? Why don't we have photos of them? Does he have documentation to even prove this girl explained the layout of the tunnels? The complete lack of anything verifiable is a huge, glaring red flag.