"SUNDAY STAR-TIMES"

INL, Auckland, New Zealand.

Sunday, November 11, 2001.

Page A8.

Letters

ABUSE DOUBTS: R G Hayward finds it strange that there has been little comment on Lynley Hood's book A City Possessed from police, social workers or complainant parents. One other group should be added to the list, Doctors for Sexual Abuse Care.

I find it incomprehensible that DSAC could have been so gullible as to swallow advice from a now discredited paediatrician from the United States.

According to Hood's book, the DSAC Manual for the medical management of child sexual abuse was based on the work of Dr Astrid Heger, who was found to have misdiagnosed child sexual abuse on a massive scale.

The book goes on: "Doctors were told to avoid statements like 'the examination was normal' or 'no evidence of sexual abuse exists'. Instead, the phrase 'this examination is consistent with the allegation of sexual abuse' was recommended."

To mislead the public and the justice system in this way is appalling. Some parents have been led to believe their children have been sexually abused based on spurious medical statements.

Not all children submit to a humiliating medical examination willingly.

It is adding insult to injury to then make misleading statements about their physical condition.

It is no wonder DSAC has been very quiet over A City Possessed. What they have condoned is against the principle which forms the basis of the Hippocratic oath - first do no harm.

Joyce Gibson

Auckland