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Matt Philp surely stirred a bit of
a hornet's nest with his article (June 23) on Prof Freda Briggs, an
Australian academic who was sternly criticised for making comments
about sexual abuse matters in New Zealand that were seen by some as
misleading. He wrote that she portrays her
critics as a handful of Ellis supporters. I doubt that an Australian
commentator such as Briggs is able to properly gauge the widespread support
for the innocence of Peter Ellis and the associated miscarriage of justice. Regardless of one's field of
endeavour, it is accepted that a hallmark of intellectual honesty is the
solicitation of opposing points of view and open debate about them. There are
many matters in Briggs' claims which need rational debate, one simple example
being her repetition of the opinions of school counsellors who claim a sexual
abuse rate of 44 per cent. That is inaccurate and unscientific hearsay. Briggs seems unwilling to debate
such matters, but has brought upon herself an obligation to produce credible,
testable evidence to support her claims about sexual abuse - and about her
publications. Absent that evidence, she must forever hold her peace. |
