"SUNDAY STAR-TIMES"
INL, Auckland, New Zealand.
Sunday, April 1, 2001.
Page 8
Sex experts?
CONGRATULATIONS
for having the courage to publish an extract from Lynley Hood's refreshing,
accurate and concise essay on the Peter Ellis case (March 25), exposing the
nonsense leading to his conviction.
She
correctly noted that alleged experts who claim an ability to distinguish
between true and false allegations of sexual abuse can do nothing of the sort.
The
claim to that bogus expertise persists. Government is preparing to re-introduce
ACC lump-sum compensation of up to $100,000 and will include sex abuse
claimants. ACC has admitted there is no causal link between sexual abuse and
any particular psychological or behavioural symptoms.
In
many cases it determines eligibility only from the alleged psychological
condition and behaviour of claimants, assessed by "experts" claiming
a contrived ability to know a client was sexually abused. That mythology will
cost the taxpayer dearly and ruin many more lives.
Based
on assumption, belief and opinion, self-appointed experts gave Ellis and around
80,000 other men accused in recent ACC claims the loathsome label of "sex
abuser". Hood's essay and new book should be compulsory reading for ACC
and its counsellors.
Gordon
Waugh
Auckland