Posts by Kyle MacDonald
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Up Front: Fringe of Darkness, in reply to Ross Francis,
The above came from Felicity Goodyear-Smith's website.
With regards to her credibility, this also comes from her website:
"It was believed that children should be given positive messages about sex. Adult contacts were not hidden from children. Children and adolescents were not discouraged when they demonstrated an interest in sexual activities including sexual contact with adults... ...I was the doctor for the community from 1989 until 1992."
Three things:
1. Sexual contact with minors was indisputably illegal at the time (regardless of what people may have "believed" was good or bad)2. There was ample evidence at the time of the detrimental effects of sexual contact with children on their ongoing psychological development.
3. Medical professionals have a duty of care, and ethical requirement to report, suspected sexual abuse of minors.
-
Yes exactly. It is much less damaging and misleading to describe these cases as a failure of interviewing children appropriately, as opposed to being evidence of a syndrome whereby children falsely recall sexual abuse.
-
Up Front: Fringe of Darkness, in reply to Anke Richter,
Yes, that was a very orchestrated piece in North and South. I was surprised Donna Chisholm gave her such free reign to essentially put forth an unbalanced "PR" piece as you suggest. Good work on the article, sorry to hear of your arduous experience, and happy to fill in some further gaps.
Interestingly Chisolm went on to write a very "anti" counselling piece in N&S a year or so later, which seemed too much of a coincidence. I heard a rumour they were friends, but have no idea if that was true.
-
Up Front: Fringe of Darkness, in reply to Sacha,
Thanks Sacha!
-
Up Front: Fringe of Darkness, in reply to Russell Brown,
Well there's a lot in that so forgive my long answer. I have no doubt she has credibility as an expert witness for the defence, which at it's simplest is a reason for her to not be involved with treatment of sexual abuse survivors. I also have no doubt that Ellis is likely innocent, the Gwaze case I'm not very familiar with but Ellis seems a miscarriage of justice. I do have a problem with the whole concept of "False Memory Syndrome" though in that it reifies something in a very unhelpful way. It is true that interview techniques of children used to be problematic and that children are inherently more suggestible that adults (although adults are too).
It's also true that false testimony happens, but the whole "movement" behind FMS was the extension of that to the point of undermining the existence of child sexual abuse, and over representing the false accusations of sexual violence.
If you read through some of the troubling stuff on John Potters website you'll see how this ends up being pulled to it's extreme, including accusing therapists and counsellors of being involved in the "Sexual abuse industry" and drumming up business.And this is the guts of my problem with FGS: She actively represents anti-abuse as a position.
She was the Community GP on CP when the sexual abuse of children was happening, she would've known about it and would've come across medical evidence of it, and as such had a ethical and professional duty to report it as it's illegal. In not doing so she breached her code of ethics and should've been sanctioned, and had her licence revoked. Instead she marries Bert Potter's son, maintains a close relationship with Bert, and sets about writing academic papers about, for instance, how it is "possible" to contract STI's as a child without sexual contact. (seriously) and teaches at the University of Auckland.
So yes she has credibility and is an expert in getting men accused of sexual abuse off, some of whom are innocent. But she has a very questionable moral and professional background.
-
Up Front: Fringe of Darkness, in reply to Katharine Moody,
Yes, that was a great piece of journalism by Tim Hume, and pretty much put a stop to any further influence with ACC. It was beyond shocking that she had been let anywhere near the treatment of sexual abuse survivors.
Working with Tim on the story I experienced first hand at the time the anxiety, nausea and paranoia that Anke talks about, being slandered on John Potters website was actually quite frightening, and it was a brave editorial decision by the SST to run with the story. -
Up Front: Fringe of Darkness, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
I've only just caught up with this, and what a wonderful piece of writing and a very necessary and worthwhile project.
The collective history of "therapy" in New Zealand took many years to untangle themselves from Centrepoint, and Bert's approaches caused many splits and problems in the profession at the time. But for me the value of this work, is to not forget the history and to not allow it to be repressed.People like John Potter and his wife Dr. Felicity Goodyear-Smith, a GP at CP at the time of the abuses, still try to exert direct influence over how sexual crime is treated and prosecuted in New Zealand and fight back hard and fast when attempts to out this are made. FGS was involved for some time with the ACC Sensitive Claims process, or at least in the attempts to destroy it (see: http://psychotherapy.org.nz/ideology-of-denial/ ).
One of my scarier moments, and something I know feel proud of was getting attacked on the menz site. But the scary thing is there is still a blanket of denial by many over the impact of what happened there, and active attempts to repress it.
-
Speaker: Rugby, Racing and Emotions, in reply to ,
Sorry, that wasn't the right way to put it you're right. What I was trying to say was I do think that living our lives in accord with our values is very important, and ultimately leads to happiness and meaning.
I was six at the time and so have a genuine excuse (unlike our PM) to have no memory of the events. I'm proud that others took the stand at the time, and what they gave of themselves in protest.
I only recently learned that New Zealand's tour to South Africa in 1976 caused African nations to boycott the 1976 Montreal Olympics. An uncomfortable side note is that the absence of those nations (arguably) made possible John Walkers 1500 m gold medal...
-
Speaker: Rugby, Racing and Emotions, in reply to BenWilson,
It is therapeutic, anything that allows for expression and for us to find our own meaning can be, including cathartic expression, or protest (as in 1981). At the risk of seemingly like a walking cliche, for me rugby is about my dad, he watched every game I played growing up (despite being absent in other ways) and we now have season passes at Eden Park, and have done since 2004. It's become our way to catch up, stay connected and I know in years to come I will treasure these memories and shared experiences.
So it all depends really, ay? -
Speaker: Rugby, Racing and Emotions, in reply to Bart Janssen,
I was at every Blues home game this year. I guess that's diagnostic...