The Herald
Saturday 15 December 2001
Page A22

Psychology standards

The botched inquiry by psychologist Prue Vincent (Dec 4) into a sex abuse case is just one of many.

She has destroyed an entire family, yet is merely fined lightly and censured. The Psychologists Board could de-register her but, as it has shown in the past, it lacks the courage to act. That she is still allowed to practice is scandalous.

Her methods and findings are typical of the sex abuse industry. Confirm this by remembering the Peter Ellis case, the tens of thousands of ACC claimants, men wrongly denied access to families, and the man to whom we recently paid over half a million dollars in compensation for wrongful conviction. These cases were based on allegations resulting from counselling, but unsupported by credible evidence.

The label "sex abuser" is the most loathsome in our society. There is no excuse for its wrongful application. It is high time psychologists and counsellors were required to comply with acceptable evidential standards. Anything less is indefensible. Assumption, opinion and belief are simply not good enough. They must be made fully accountable for their work

Gordon Waugh
Whenuapai