NZ: Peter Ellis – the case for a Commission of Inquiry
on Nov 15, 2009In December 2008, author Lynley Hood and former National MPs Don Brash and Katherine Rich wrote to Justice Minister Simon Power. They requested that a Commission of Inquiry be established into the Peter Ellis/Christchurch Civic Creche case.They argue...

Bad Science: validity of 'repressed memories' challenged in court
on Nov 15, 2009Defrocked priest Paul R. Shanley was convicted in 2005 of preying on children in his Boston parish for decades. Shanley's case came to light amid a clergy sex abuse scandal in 2002 when church records revealed that officials knew of pedophile priests...

Prosecutor not malicious in Satanic sex abuse case: top court
on Nov 15, 2009OTTAWA - The Crown attorney who pressed a controversial satanic sex-abuse case against two foster parent families in Saskatchewan did not act maliciously, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled.In a 7-0 decision Friday, the court erased a malicious pr...

Forgotten memories are still in your brain
on Sep 9, 2009For anyone who’s ever forgotten something or someone they wish they could remember, a bit of solace: Though the memory is hidden from your conscious mind, it might not be gone.In a study of college students, brain imaging detected patterns of activ...

S.M.A.R.T. Ritual Abuse/Mind-Control Conference 2009
on Sep 1, 2009On the weekend of August 15-16, skeptical journalist Douglas Mesner attended a conference for alleged victims of Satanic Ritual Abuse and Mind-Control in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. This is the first of his 2-part report: The crude sales booth at t...

Sydney: AFMA Conference 2009.
on Aug 28, 2009The Australian False Memory Association is pleased to present an informative program for our 2009 Annual Conference.This comes at a time when public opinion holds that false memories and false accusations are yesterday’s news. Although the incidenc...

The first image of memories being made
on Jun 20, 2009The increase in green fluorescence represents the imaging of local translation at synapses during long-term synaptic plasticity. Image credit: ScienceThe ability to learn and to establish new memories is essential to our daily existence and identity...

Phantom incest case sparks compensation claim
on May 20, 2009A twenty-year-old case of unproven incest has prompted one of its assumed victims to start a legal procedure against the Dutch state. The woman, Elise Watts, is demanding a formal apology and compensation for her suffering as a child, she told Rotter...

Perverting the course of justice
on Apr 18, 2009In Australia, a former judge has been jailed for perjury and perverting the course of justice, after telling a series of lies about a relatively minor traffic offence. From The Sydney Morning Herald:Marcus Einfeld's indignant denials of dishonesty in...

Witch Hunt: the movie
on Apr 16, 2009On the night John Stoll was roused from his bed and carted off to jail, his attitude bordered on the cavalier."Aren't you worried?" His lawyer wondered."Hell no, I ain't worried," John answered. "I didn't do this. You can't convict me of something I...