The public might see fallout from the Michael Jackson verdict, whereby child sexual abuse goes unreported, says author Dean Tong.
Tampa Bay, Florida (PRWEB) - June 21, 2005 -- On June 13, a jury found Michael Jackson not guilty on all charges brought against him. The jury, which consisted of eight women, six of whom had kids, may have erred on the side of celebrity and not the side of caution, suggests author Dean Tong.
In my opinion, there were, perhaps un-wittingly, mistakes made by the prosecution, Tong says. First, they went after Jacksons propensity to be a monster by using 1,108 prior bad acts as evidence, but never produced the smoking gun witness from 1993, Jordan Chandler. Next, they never called any experts to articulate to the jury about delayed memory recall trauma and therapy relative to child sexual abuse. Finally, they called a prime witness, the main accusers mother, who was, at best, not credible.
Unquestionably, child sexual abuse is a problem in America. In 2003, over 300,000 sexual abuse reports were filed in the United States. According to Finkelhor (2004), the actual incidence of child sexual abuse dropped by 40 percent between 1992 and 2000. Does this mean that our child protective investigators should take their job lightly -- that we should ease our position on spending taxpayers dollars to protect our most vulnerable and precious resource? Tong says no.
While Michael Jacksons wealth and celebrity made him a target, these are not the only motivating factor when allegations of child sexual abuse are leveled, Tong says. The presence of a contentious divorce, visitation dispute and child custody battle are other warning signs that could point to possible false allegations (Blush & Ross, 1986; Tong, 2002). It is crucial for the investigator to know the timing of the abuse allegation and whether or not a delusional or false accuser had motive, method and opportunity to injure the accused (Gardner, 1996). Likewise, it is crucial the investigator glean if the child accuser was a victim of memory or linguistic error, suggestibility or peer pressure (Ceci & Bruck, 1993; 1995).
Studies conducted by Bagley, 1992; Courtois & Watts, 1982; Finkelhor & Browne, 1986; Slager-Jorne, 1978; Swanson & Biaggio, 1985; Tsai & Wagner, 1978, and Faulkner, 1996, indicate that there are scores of cases where child sexual abuse remains unreported. Embarrassment, fear, denial, and perhaps now paranoia and uncertainty they wont be believed because of Jackson, are all real concerns for todays abused children, Tong says.
Dean Tong is the author of Elusive Innocence: Survival Guide for the Falsely Accused. He provides forensic consultative services to attorneys, unjustly accused parents, and parents embroiled in acrimonious custody battles with or without abuse allegations. He is a nationally recognized expert on the issue of false accusations.