Customer Reviews

Has A Child Been Molested?

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"Has a Child Been Molested" belongs in every criminal defense lawyer's library if you are going to represent clients accused of child molesting. This book will educate the attorney to be aware of issues and problems that are unique to these cases and that without the insights of Dr. Coleman and Mr. Clancy one can easily overlook to the client's ultimate detriment. The highest compliment I can pay to the book and its authors is that it made me a better lawyer and allowed me to represent my clients more effectively. As a criminal defense lawyer with over 20 years of experience, I can strongly recommend Dr. Coleman as a powerful expert witness for the defense in child sexual abuse cases. His testimony on issues such as suggestability of child witnesses, syndrome evidence, an rebutting false claims of physical evidence of abuse is absolutely necessary if these cases are to be presented effectively and fairly to juries. This book covers all the major issues of mental health, medicine, and interview techniques that constantly appear in child molest cases. The book points out how doctors and therapists have been corrupted to apply their professional expertise in the name of saving the abused child based on the presumption that "children never lie" about these things. Dr. Coleman and Mr. Clancy point out how this movement to save the children got started and how it has been allowed to run wild through our criminal justice system. More importantly, they provide information and guidance that will allow the reader to understand what is happening and how to prevent the misuse of medicine and psychiatry in the courtroom. Anyone truly interested in seeing the truth come out in a courtroom cannot afford to ignore this truly important work.

This is a very good book. It gives a balanced treatment of an issue that has reached near hysteria proportions in America today. Child abuse is an awful crime. In the past our society often swept it under the rug. But, today is too often alleged. Parents can too easily put a child up to making false allegations to get back at one another. Alternatively they can sometimes convince a child not to make allegations to protect a spouse on whom they are emotionally, financially, or spiritually dependant.
These days the mere accusation of abuse renders the accused branded for life. Also, these false accusations make it harder to give attention to the real cases. This is a book attorneys, police, and mental health workers should read carefully.
It gives factual information. It shows clear signs of actual or feigned molestation. It has case studies from real life examples. It is the kind of book that can bolster us to fight this crime, but caution us against charging in without proper facts.
Jesse Barrow

Dr.Coleman's book provided me valuable insight while I was involved in the difficult task of representing a client accused of molesting his 9 year old daughter. The unfair investigative techniques and psychiatric myths foisted upon our juries in these cases are unravelled by Dr. Coleman's careful analysis of the issues. The straightforward explanantions by Dr. Coleman make this book a must for every lawyer defending these difficult cases. DAN BURLAND Esq. San Jose CA

These authors address issues which are presented in child sexual abuse prosecutions, including the concerns about whether doctors, police and prosecutors either inadvertently or purposely affect the integrity of the claims. Very readable - a great resource for defense attorneys.

I've had an opportunity to hear Dr. Coleman testify in a child molest case. He had to admit under cross-examination by the D.A. prosecuting the case that he had not attempted to get the entire version of events by both sides before testifying for the defendant. He didn't follow his own protocol of being "open-minded and neutral" in his approach when investigating this type of case or to gather "historical" evidence from all sides. He had to admit that he didn't even attempt to gather any type of evidence from the victim or her family, just interviewed the defendant and his wife some three years later and then felt comfortable testifying that the child must have been led by her mother to believe she was molested. Any person writing or testifying as an expert has a duty to be thorough, fair and neutral in their approach to such critical issues and cases. However, Dr. Coleman doesn't seem to want to practice what he preaches.

This author doesn't seem to think there is anyway to know if a child is molested unless there is a camera present. The rest of the world relies on open-ended questions and play therapy but he dismisses it as leading. As a mother who knows you can notice changes in your child's personality and play. I don't want to see one person to get away with ruining innocent lives because they used this book to twist the truth!!!!