The Child Abuse Industry. - book reviews

The Child Abuse Industry

We have a friend defending several people convicted of the most outrageous child-abuse crimes; after more than two years on the case, he is convinced, as are we, of his clients' innocence. Child witnesses lied, social workers manipulated testimony, police allowed their imaginations to direct their investigation, and medical doctors buttressed failing careers with fallacious testimony. It's all coming unraveled now, as they approach a new trial when the children will recant and more sophisticated medical experts will destroy the earlier findings. Our friend's clients, who are now serving prison terms beginning at 200 years, will ultimately be released. Hence our interest in this subject, which has led us to discover that our friend's clients are not alone: all over the country this crazed hysteria about child abuse has led to the mistaken convictions of hundreds of innocent people. (Not that child abuse doesn't exist. It does, and is a serious problem, but this hysterical overreaction is a distinct and devastating other phenomenon.) Mary Pride has written a book on the subject which is factually accurate and a cornucopia of resources for parents and child care workers who feel threatened by the possibility that they may be accused of child abuse. Short on case histories, and assuming a sympathetic audience, the book details the machinations of the social-welfare child-protective system ("WE JUST WANT TO HELP") with uncompromising and scathing language. The abuse of power in the helping professions is articulately and carefully detailed by an author who pretends to nothing but naked contempt for their effect upon the American family. And it is this conservative loyalty to family which is the irony of this "movement" against the child-abuse hysteria, for this book, like many of the others (which are less authoritative) places itself wholly within the circle of prolifers, anti-feminists and fundamentalist Christians in its defense of those accused of heinous crimes. It's an odd and humorous grouping, perhaps telling about the breakup of traditional alliances, but that's a different subject. It's a worthy, truthful book on the subject, the best resource we've discovered so far.

COPYRIGHT 1989 Point Foundation
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group