The Christchurch Civic Crèche Case |
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A City Possessed: I found this to be a very interesting book. At times it
felt like reading a ‘whodunit 'novel, but because of the length of the book
(672 pages)and the exhaustive detail provided by the author, at other times
the tempo of the book did drag. Having conducted research in the long-term sequelae of
child sexual abuse, I was interested to discover whether the book would
change any of my current perspectives. In focusing on the investigation of
New Zealand's largest and most controversial case of allegations of sexual
abuse occurring in a Christchurch crèche, in the early 1990s, author Lynley
Hood offers a fascinating insight into the case. Describing herself as a
research associate with an interest in child care, the author declares her
position at the outset, writing that her investigation into the crèche sexual
abuse allegations led her to believe that eccentric and flamboyant male
childcare worker, Peter Ellis, and a number of other female childcare workers
were victims of a modern ‘witch hunt '. Hood suggests that the allegations
developed at the height of the ‘believe the children 'movement in the child
sexual abuse field developing in the 1980s, mixed with the risks of overly directive
interviewing, the misuse of psychiatric testimony and over zealous policing
and prosecuting. These all lead to what she describes as a modern form of
mass hysteria. There is an interesting early chapter discussing the witch
hunts of various ages, the phenomenon of mass hysteria and urban legends. The book, in sometimes excessive detail, looks at the
historical background, the subculture of Christchurch and the very well
respected crèche, which became the centre of major allegations of child
sexual abuse of multiple victims and of a ritual abuse type. Hood avoids the
trap of obvious bias or zealotry in either direction. There is also an
interesting touch when the author becomes caught up in the court appeals
process and is faced with the dilemma of whether to reveal confidential
information gained in her many interviews with those involved. The main protagonist, Peter Ellis, serves a number of
years in prison for the offences, but has continued to strenuously claim his
innocence, even when several attempts at appeal did not clear his name. There
is also the interesting sideline of a College of Psychiatry member who
provided expert witness testimony at the trial. As a strong ‘believer 'of the
potential damage of child sexual abuse for children, the book certainly
raised a great deal of thought in my mind, in particular whether the widely
touted prevalence figures for abuse are in fact correct and whether the
pendulum has swung ‘too far 'in terms of lack of scientific objectivity in
investigating abuse allegations. The book would be of interest to any psychiatrist working
with child sexual abuse victims, either directly or indirectly, and possibly
also to adult psychiatrists who treat those who suffer the long-term effects
of childhood sexual abuse. However, I think the book has an even broader
appeal, with its emphasis on the difficulties of psychiatric testimony and
looking at the broader social issues of mass hysteria. The book is long and
at times arduous to read, but there are plenty of fascinating chunks within
it and I came away having a sense of a new perspective on the issues
involved. Whether or not you agree with author Lynley Hood's views
on the falseness of the allegations is not the point of reading this book;
the book effectively raises questions that anyone in the area of child sexual
abuse will find interesting and challenging. |