Customer Reviews

Witch Hunt: A True Story of Social Hysteria and Abused Justice

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This journalistic account of the civil rights violations that can occur in the name of helping children is a chilling, scary book. Those who are in denial, or doubt Ms. Lyons account should read the award winning series in the Seattle paper called The Power to Harm at www.seattle-pi.com/powertoharm. This account also updates the story past the end of the books time frame so the reader can learn about the ultimate outcome of many of the cases. One page even continues to update the story as it unfolds.

I have lived in Wenatchee for twenty years, and I saw first hand these outrageous trials. Unfortunately, the whole book is true. I saw some other reviewers say that the book is "one-sided". Perhaps, but the other side in this story is a truckload of BS, and the "mental-health professionals" who claim that the investigation was valid are LIARS. I also saw a review that said that one child called in to say that she was indeed raped. Well, given how often the stories have changed, I would find it very hard to believe. Folks, the facts speak for themselves, Almost all the ones convicted had a public lawyer, and almost everyone aquitted or had charges dismissed had a private lawyer. I don't want to go too deeply into the story, because I would basically be paraphrasing the book, which I don't want to do. In conclusion, beware of anyone who gives support to Perez, that sorry excuse for a human being.

The Citizens of The city of Wenatche, owe you for your hard work, Those that have been touched, those that are living and those who have live and died ,know about the abuse that has been going on far to long in this City of Wenatchee. I know,I lived there, and also have family that still live there ,and their lives have been hurt terribly by the 'Power Class",in this isolated town.. Kathryn, I take my hat off to you, , We Give you our Thanks,for a Great Job on this book Thanks for writing the truth!

Americans need to listen up to the kind of justice that is notso uncommon, especially in the state of Washington. A book to be onyour must read list. One must ask two questions: 1. How and why could something like this be permitted to happen on this level and to this extent? 2. What must be done to prevent it from occuring again?

I've been interested in the "recovered memory" controversy since I ran across related legal cases of dubious merit all over the country, and successful legal suits filed againt psychiatrists' offices for seeding false memories in their patients. My interest was reinvigorated while talking with an associate recently whose avocation is to keep in touch with the roughly 15 percent (!) of persons in prison who haven't done anything. We talked about Romano in California ("Spectral Evidence") Ingram in Washington ("Remembering Satan"), and this Wenatchee, Washington case. So I got this book.

It all started with a 6 year old girl whose behavior was questioned by teachers. Eventually a child protection worker talked with her. The girl said she'd been touched inappropriately by a couple of 6 year old boys. The protection worker didn't feel that was right--there MUST be more to it. She persisted ad nauseum until the kid finally said her father abused her. (Her parents, incidentally, had pretty low IQs, were, therefore, poor. That's key to all these sham allegations.)

From there what took place was no less than incredible. A police officer had just taken the helm of the child abuse charges. Though he's retired, I won't mention his name so I don't get accused of child abuse myself. But, to make a long story short, he coerced children into claiming they'd been sexually abused, and their parents of being responsible for the acts. As Ms. Lyon indicates--again, and again, and again--he gave the parties no option but to say what he wanted.

When people, including an upstanding minister in town, challenged the officer's integrity, they too were implicated, and eventually jailed.

The pathetic thing about the case is that the courts went along with the allegations! It presents, shall I say, a profound challenge to those who believe "the system" works. And the local media, of course, bought into it. It is, after all, sensational and on that condition the press thrives.

What's the number in my title? It's the total number of sexual abuse acts of which those on trial were accused. Incidentally, ALL of the charges were eventually dismissed, and all those accused were released from prison, but only after spending a great deal of time there!

I thank Ms. Lyon, an attorney and public defender, for the book which, on the cover, states, "In the wrong hands, the law can be a dangerous weapon." Indeed, among the most egregious offenses I see in today's society is the abuse of authority by public officials. As we pay them to protect us, I think such abuse should be a capital offense. Not only do such phony allegations cost us astonishing amounts of time and money, but they cause incredible suffering, not only to those sent to prison but to those who'll remain convinced for the rest of their lives that they were helpless victims--when the facts indicate that nothing happened!

Important too is that the accused who partook of the services of public defenders (most were poor and/or otherwise handicapped) were convicted--usually after the PD encouraged them to a plea bargain. Those with the resources for private attorneys were acquitted.

What is documented in detail in this book--which is hard to put down once you've started it--is a pretty solid argument in favor of that extreme of punishment.

In any case, Ms. Lyon started the book with examples of other witch hunts in our own society, the one in Salem and the later one under Senator McCarthy. Her last chapter cautions the reader on training which child protection institutions and the like receive which may implicate people who are innocent of any wrongdoing.

Thanks again, Ms. Lyon. You've performed a public service by writing this book. God willing, we'll learn from it.

A fairly well written and exhaustively researched book which has no pretensions of objectivity. The author declares her views at the outset and thus allows us to filter her words through that perspective to make our own judgments. As one who believes the author's version of events, I found myself wishing that she had toned back her language just a bit so she wouldn't just be preaching to the choir. But as a member of that choir, I enjoyed the book.

I think it was important that someone write a book about the Wenatchee hysteria, and I am glad the author took the time to do it. It is the kind of cautionary tale I wish every police officer and child worker would read as part of their initial training. Even if they disagree with the book when they read it, at least they will be forewarned of the possibility that a witch hunt can come about and might be able to recognize the symptoms if one begins in their area -- or if they find themselves succumbing to the traps the Wenatchee officials fell into when they began their series of investigations and prosecutions.

Kathy Lyon's book "Witchhunt" has ripped open a festering lesion of Washington state abuses this boil of corruption in the Washington state child care agency is rampant county by county, the same practiced behavior of social workers and detectives, therapist, judges, and state appointed attorney's involved in the Wenatchee cases are a practiced pattern in every county in the State. Washington state was under investigation for its lack of care of children during much of the abuses committed against the children and families of Wenatchee. Kathy Lyons has cored out the center of the festering boil and allowed the injuries to drain she has shown that one person can make a change, she has paved the way for other Washington state abuse victims to have the fearless strength to come forward, for this she has earned my boundless admiration and support. Washington state now must expunge its self from the umbrella of denial and address the citizens its out of control agencies have harmed and stop the abuses that the citizen's tax dollars were used to commit. Witch Hunt guides the reader into the networking of state agencies with no oversight allowed to harm at will and laugh in the face of its victims. I wrote a letter to the Washington State Patrol Chief and inquired as to who investigated the Department of Social and Health Service cases of abuse i.e. children in state run foster homes and group homes? She replied that the Washington State Patrol had been given this duty however the Washington State Patrol could not investigate the Department of Social and Health services unless the department of Social and Health Services gave the Washington State Patrol permission to do so! Kathy Lyons saw a horrible injustice and made a commitment to the victims.

" Justice will be served when those not yet affected are as outraged as those who were. "

The book is well-written and hard to put down. The truth of Wenatchee will probably never be known in entirety, but Lyon allows us to see how hysteria built to bolster the political career of a single individual. Reading it, one comes to doubt the criminal justice system, the human capacity for remembering events, the beliefs underlying applied psychology. It is terrifying to think that one might someday be a part of events like these, as alleged perpetrator or silent witness. This is a book to read twice.

The Citizens of The city of Wenatche, owe you for your hard work, Those that have been touched, those that are living and those who have live and died ,know about the abuse that has been going on far to long in this City of Wenatchee. I know,I lived there, and also have family that still live there ,and their lives have been hurt terribly by the 'Power Class",in this isolated town.. Kathryn, I take my hat off to you, , We Give you our Thanks,for a Great Job on this book Thanks for writing the truth!

You see, it is not only the child sex abuse case that we (as American citizens across the board) ought to be concern about. Yes, THIS case and yet many OTHERS outside of this kind of witch hunt SHOULD be re-considered AND CONSIDERED WHOLLY. There are many, many cases involving just this type of abuse of power from cases involving housing and property managers who abuse the very same resources as Perez and many other law enforcement types who destroy the lives of many. I have only learned of this case while watching Dateline on ID and of course this led me to do my own thinking and research as many other Americans ought to be encouraged to do so. Also, the media can be a detriment or a support in revealing the FACT that in NOT only cases of child sexual abuse, however, cases where the abuse of power AND collective lying through and by officials who have used their power (when others who are so very socially inept of thinking for themselves, so gullible in believing anyone in power). There are so many individuals in this country who rely solely upon news of any type, who believe that ANY one who is in power of law enforcement or in housing, or in ANY facet where our lives and rights are so easily erased due to the bullying, manipulative, blind ignorance, and simply just plain evil individuals who are in power. I am outraged at this type of vigilante justice and the hyped topics (which seem to be many) that we are subjected to in today's journalistic and non-objective or even non-subjective places of opinion. Please wake up EVERYONE and read this book and again, DO YOUR OWN THINKING and STOP being so easily impressed at titles or television and those who are elected officials, be it in our churches or in political offices where our rights stand to be destoyed and are being destroyed at the hands of those who yell fire when there isn't even smoke. We need to return to individually investigate every single accusation or charge made against anyone. When we take responsibility for our position in life by doing the work necessary in finding the truth and applying every statute and law needed in finding the truth apropriately, we may see much less of these types of cases across the board occuring in such a manner detrimental for and to the very rights established in 1776. These rights were written for EVERYONE by minds who were humbled enough to say, "look, we may be wrong from time to time" or "look, let's truly listen and take the time to apply the processes needed to consider BEFORE accusation and prevent this type of systematic destruction of each and every life valuable in our society". The irony is that far less responsiblity is taken when the actual suspect who has actually committed any such civil or criminal assault. We are failing drastically as a supposed evolved society when and if we do not take the proper measures of investigative technique or execution in solving a crime (not in only physical assault and murder) but also in crimes which seem oblivious to the average person who believes that this may not ever happen to THEM. We need to learn to be vigilant in true justice (with out the witch hunt or intimidation) and not in the type where we assume the worse.Many times, we are wrong. This will take much work and balance. Whoever said that life is easy. We are to take responsibility and learn where boundaries need to be placed. If we do NOT take the time to care, if we continue to live in "me"-ism and accusation based on social prejudices, we may find ourselves being accused for something that we had NO involvement or are falsely accused due to prejudice and convienience. It can happen to ANYONE. SO get off the cell phones, idiot cable reality programs and ipods and learn to re-educate yourselves about your rights and the lives of others. MAKE the time, because this is YOUR life and the lives of others which are being threatened to this type of injustice. When your neighbor, or the person in passing is falsely accused, BEWARE as your life may be next.