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The Press
March 21, 1995
Abuse claims tally with list in book
by Diane Keenan
The child at the centre of abuse allegations against four Christchurch
creche workers showed all symptoms of ritual abuse outlined in a book by an
American therapist.
A TV3 news item said last night that the child's mother had read the book,
"Ritual Child Abuse - Discovery, Diagnosis, and Treatment", by
Pamela Hudson, a California
mental health worker.
In August 1992, the mother wrote to the police asking that Ms Hudson be
called in to help with the inquiry. The defence in the trial of the four
women alleged that parents had contaminated evidence given by the child
complainants.
In 1988, Ms Hudson produced a checklist of well-known children's symptoms and
allegations that she claimed indicated ritual abuse.
Allegations that were on the checklist including confinement, live burial,
use of needles, defecation, and circle-dancing surfaced during the Civic
Childcare Centre court proceedings.
The child at the centre of the allegations against, the four women creche
workers regurgitated all signs on the checklist, the item said.
The TV item questioned why four women creche workers were charged with child
abuse, and queried the climate that lead to their lives being destroyed. The
child also claimed that he had stabbed a little boy to death, that he had
sacrificed animals" and that he had seen Jesus dug up in a coffin.
The television item said that his allegations against the women were not made
until his fourth interview. The creche workers said in the item their
three-year nightmare started with a dawn raid on their homes by police. One
worker, Jan Buckingham, said they were looking for anything that fitted their
preconceived idea of the implements of pedophilia.
"They took a charm bracelet of the Ten Commandments my mother had given
me and Christmas decorations," she said.
Former creche supervisor Gaye Davidson said the police were
"everywhere".
"Police dressed in army fatigues and boots stripped down my car and
climbed through the roof with mirrors, checking the walls. It was just
awful."
Another worker, Marie Keyes, a mother, former teacher, and Plunket president,
said she could not now bear to be anywhere near children.
Ms Buckingham said the impact on her life had been profound.
"There's no peace any more, no serenity in our lives. It's all gone,
taken away because people just didn't stop and think."
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