Divorce's Deadliest Weapon
- Episode aired Nov 19, 1993
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Divorce's Deadliest Weapon
In view of the hysteria over historical rape allegations and the resulting witch-hunts that started shortly after the death of Jimmy Savile, it is difficult to credit that this important documentary was actually screened nearly two decades earlier. It is clear that at the time it was made, the authorities were learning lessons about false allegations - in this case of child sexual abuse. Now they appear to have forgotten everything.
Due to the sensitive nature of the false allegations therein, the identities of the men falsely accused have been masked; their words are spoken by actors. We hear from among others a very level-headed child psychologist who has not swallowed the mantra "Believe the children", especially when a little gentle probing reveals that the child in question has been coached to say terrible things about Daddy. One father was told there was physical evidence that he had sexually assaulted his daughter, and that if he confessed they would see he got the help he needed. As if. Thankfully he was not bamboozled by this lie, but he was in the UK; in the United States where district attorneys have the power to threaten innocent defendants with Draconian sentences unless they cop a plea, this guy's life might have been trashed. The name Ray Spencer springs to mind.
We hear too from victims on the other side of the Pond, and from lawyers - including female lawyers - who are wise to the dirty tricks some women pull in custody disputes, such as not actually making the false allegation in person but leading some gullible social worker into doing it.
Due to the sensitive nature of the false allegations therein, the identities of the men falsely accused have been masked; their words are spoken by actors. We hear from among others a very level-headed child psychologist who has not swallowed the mantra "Believe the children", especially when a little gentle probing reveals that the child in question has been coached to say terrible things about Daddy. One father was told there was physical evidence that he had sexually assaulted his daughter, and that if he confessed they would see he got the help he needed. As if. Thankfully he was not bamboozled by this lie, but he was in the UK; in the United States where district attorneys have the power to threaten innocent defendants with Draconian sentences unless they cop a plea, this guy's life might have been trashed. The name Ray Spencer springs to mind.
We hear too from victims on the other side of the Pond, and from lawyers - including female lawyers - who are wise to the dirty tricks some women pull in custody disputes, such as not actually making the false allegation in person but leading some gullible social worker into doing it.
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- a_baron
- Sep 28, 2016
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