Child sex abuse hysteria and the Ellis case
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	The wisdom of Gordon Waugh - Index
	Sunday Star Times April 26 1998 In support of courts Letter by Gordon Waugh, Auckland Shiver me timbers! Ms Heron (April 19) prattles on about the recent naval courts martial, men's unbridled sexuality, Freud's denigrating perspective of women, and outdated patriarchal institutions. That form of rhetoric is outmoded and ill-informed. Ms Heron obviously has no experience of courts martial or evidential processes. Courts martial are at least as rigorous as any other court. The appointed judge advocate is a powerful safeguard. The rules of procedure are clear and precise. The process examines evidence both for and against an allegation, somewhat better than achieved by a jury in our adversarial system. The reason why this serial accuser's allegations against her 11 colleagues failed to convict them is simple. She could not produce credible evidence to support her allegations. There is a vast difference between allegations and evidence. Ms Heron would have them convicted by accusation alone. That is simply not good enough. Ms Heron asks why this woman would go through this exhausting drama. That's just it. It was a silly and pointless drama, seen far too often in recent years, and acted out for immature ideological purposes. Sunday Star Times April 19 1998 Court results no surprise Letter by Cindy Heron, New Plymouth The acquittals of navy officers in the courts martial being held at present in Devonport are not surprising. They are merely a formality played out in front of the public. There is no justice for this young woman while the navy sits in judgment of its own. The defence is transparent. With comments that focus on the women's clothing -- she wasn't wearing a bra, so what? -- the myth that women are responsible for men's unbridled sexuality still exists. Statements that the woman was fantasising, imagining that these incidents happened indicate that Freud's denigrating perspective of women still lives on. While the navy denies its institution is sexist, the ideology it adopts to defend itself is. Why would this woman go through this entire exhausting drama if it were not to achieve some sort of justice for the humiliation she has experienced at the hands of an outdated patriarchal institution? The navy is fooling only itself.