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THE "FELLS ACRE" RITUAL ABUSE CASE IN MALDEN, MA
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Quotation:
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"Serious holes remain in the prosecution's case against the
Amiraults -- including a lack of substantial physical evidence that
anything occurred -- faults that were ignored amid the hysteria of the
trial setting." Editorial, Lowell Sun, Lowell MA 1 |
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"...more than 20 witnesses testified that their open access to
the facility precluded the secret activities described by the
children...Two Superior Court judges have taken highly unusual positions
expressing deep doubts about the events at Fells Acres." James M.
Shannon, former Attorney General of Massachusetts. 2 |
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"[The case represents] a closed system of thought: denials,
recantations and failure to remember are categorized as manifestations
of repression and fear and thus stand as confirmations of actual abuse."
Dan Finneran, lawyer for Gerald Amirault, falsely accused of ritual
abuse in the Fells Acre day care
center. |
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"If no means yes, and yes means yes, how do you say no?"
Katha Pollitt, The Nation Magazine. 6 |
Overview:
In 1984, the Amirault Family (consisting of Gerald "Tooky" Amirault, 32, his
mother Violet Amirault, 62, and his sister Cheryl Amirault LeFave) were charged with
multiple counts of child abuse. 3,4 Nine children who attended Violet Amirault's
Fells
Acre Day Care Center in Malden MA testified that Gerald had dressed up as a
clown, took them to a what they called a hidden, magic, secret or special
room upstairs (or downstairs) in the day care building and abused them
there. Other sadistic abuse had allegedly occurred in front of the
building. Gerald was tried and convicted in 1986 on 15 counts; he received
a 40 year jail sentence. A year later, at a separate trial, 3 children
testified against the mother and daughter; they received jail sentences of
8 to 20 years.
After the family was imprisoned child psychologists began to realize
that very young children can be easily coaxed to disclose stories of abuse
that never happened. An interviewer only has to do is to repeatedly ask
direct questions. Many states now have protocols in place to prevent such
disclosures. Nobody accuses the children of lying. Debra Poole, a
professor of psychology at Central Michigan University said: "It has
nothing to do with lying and everything to do with the implanting of false
memories... Studies have shown that children will vehemently defend the
veracity of implanted memories. They recall reporting them, and those
reports produce mental images of the events that these individuals cannot
distinguish from their real experiences. But the kids are not responsible
for that. The interviews are." 5
Violet and Cheryl were released on appeal in 1995. Violet died of
cancer in 1997. Gerald continues to rot in jail. The Massachusetts
Parole Board unanimously voted to parole Gerald Amirault. Their decision was unanimous. He is expected to be released sometime later
in 2003.
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Topics covered in this section:
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Part 1:
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The source of the charges |
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The trials |
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Proceeds from insurance |
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Requests for parole |
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Comments on their guilt/innocents |
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The first appeal |
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Public appeal for commutation
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Part 2:
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A second appeal |
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Developments during the year 2000
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Part 3:
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Recent developments (2001 to now) |
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Amirault defense fund |
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Author's opinion |
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Contacts |
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A ground-breaking book that deals in depth with the Amirault cases: Dorothy Rabinowitz, "No Crueler Tyrannies: Accusation, False Witness, and Other Terrors of Our Times" Wall Street Journal Books,
(2003). Read
reviews or order this book "No Crueler Tyrannies recalls the hysteria
that accompanied the child sex-abuse witch-hunts of the 1980s and 1990s:
how a single anonymous phone call could bring to bear an army of
recovered-memory therapists, venal and ambitious prosecutors, and
hypocritical judges -- an army that jailed hundreds of innocent
Americans." (Amazon.com
review)
References:
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"Swift must free Amirault," Lowell Sun, 2001-JUL-14, at:
http://www.lowellsun.com/default.asp?
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James M. Shannon, "Why Swift should free Amirault," The Boston
Globe, 2001-AUG-17.
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"Defense Fund for the Victims of a Modern Massachusetts Witch Hunt" .
See: http://web.mit.edu/harris/www/defensefund.html
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"Junk Science. Junk Justice. The Fells Acres Daycare Case" See: http://liquid2-sun.mit.edu/fells.html
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Tom Mashberg, "Memories questioned; studies show kids can be easily
led," Boston Herald, 3002-JUL-8, Page 7.
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Katha Pollitt, "Justice, not so swift," The Nation Magazine:
Subject to Debate, 2002-MAR-18. Online at:
http://www.thenation.com/
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Bob Chatelle, "The Amirault Tragedy," at:
http://users.rcn.com/kyp/amirault.html
Copyright 1997 to 2003 incl., by Ontario Consultants on
Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2003-MAR-17
Author: B.A. Robinson
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