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Child sex
abuse hysteria and the Ellis case |
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The wisdom of
Gordon Waugh - Index |
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Open debate on
sensitive problems is a hallmark of a healthy society. Detective Sergeant
Bryan and Rape Crisis have attacked me personally for daring to criticise
their new sexual abuse booklet. Although the April 7 report advises that Rape
Crisis helped with it, Mr Bryan now claims (April 22) that the booklet was a
police initiative and no other agency had a hand in it. Who wrote the book is
now largely irrelevant. What matters is its content. I sternly criticised the
booklet because it contains Rape Crisis myth and misinformation. My concerns
lie with the quality and accuracy of the information, not with publicity for
myself, as suggested by Mr Bryan. My unanswered five-page
letter to him explained why comments in the booklet are misleading, asked for
his information sources, and justification for particular statements. That I am the sole
public critic of the booklet does not lessen the impact of criticism. He can
rebut those criticisms simply by producing credible evidence to substantiate
the booklet. The public is entitled to see that justification, and I invite
him to present it. The Daily News Police and Rape Crisis
have hit back at a critic of a recently released booklet on sexual abuse. Gordon Waugh said the
booklet, by the New Plymouth Police Child and Sexual Abuse Team, was filled
with myths and misinformation spread by Rape Crisis. "I am appalled
that input from Rape Crisis was allowed to destroyed its value by
perpetuating myth and misinformation," he said. Auckland-based Mr
Waugh, a founding and executive member of the Casualties of Sexual
Allegations (COSA) said these myths include the claim that less than 30% of
sexual abuse was reported and that sexual abuse was more common than was
thought. "This implies assured
knowledge of actual prevalence and incidence. It does not exist." He
said many of the statements made by Rape Crisis had no scientific or factual
basis. But New Plymouth
Detective Sergeant Garth Bryan said he stood by the booklet, which was a police
initiative and was prepared by police. "The statements made in the
booklet were not made by any other agency. "Mr Waugh appears
to have a negative attitude towards Rape Crisis and I am concerned he is
using the release of the Police Child and Sexual Abuse Team booklet as an
opportunity for him to gain publicity for himself." Mr Bryan said Mr
Waugh's letter was the only negative comment they had had about the booklet.
"We have had a lot of positive feedback." Rape Crisis
co-ordinator "These groups
don't believe this (sexual abuse) happens unless someone has been proven
guilty in court. What about all the people that go to get help for the pain
and trauma and don't even name an offender and don't go to court." She said Rape Crisis
was largely run by volunteers and was set up to help people deal with their
trauma. "We are there to help people heal, we are not there to take
people to court or to get a prosecution." COSA was a support
group for people who believed they had been falsely accused of sexual abuse,
and Mr Waugh said he himself had been wrongly accused of abusing his two
daughters. Families were split
apart and lives were destroyed by false allegations, he said. Wrongly accused
people had committed suicide, lost their jobs and were often emotionally
destroyed. Ms Jans said research
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