[lbo-talk] False accusations

James Heartfield Heartfield at blueyonder.co.uk
Sat Oct 21 03:14:47 PDT 2006


Abney v. Therapist, In the District Court of Harris County, Texas, 11th Judicial District, Cause No. 93-054106. Former client, her two daughters and husband sued hospital and doctors for negligence in misdiagnosing multiple personality disorder and encouraging the belief that her family had participated in satanic cult rituals. Plaintiff also claimed fraudulent misrepresentation of her condition to the medical insurance carrier. In April, 1995, suit settled through mediation for an undisclosed sum under confidentiality agreement. See, Gangelhoff, B., "Devilish Diagnosis: Hypnotized and bound by restraints, the patients of Judith Peterson say they came to believe they had multiple personalities or had belonged to satanic cults. So, apparently did their therapist," Houston Press, July 6 - July 12, 1995. See, also, "Suits against abusive therapists settled," FMSF Newsletter, June, 1995, pp. 11-12.

Althaus v. Cohen, in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Case No. 92-20893. On December 16, 1994, a jury awarded $272,232.07 in compensatory damages to parents and daughter against daughter's psychiatrist for failure to properly diagnose and encouraged her to believe in nonexistent events including accusations of parental sex abuse and satanic ritual abuse. See, "Parents win suit against psychiatrist in sex case," The New York Times, December 17, 1994. See, also, Ross, A.S., "Blame it on the devil," Redbook Magazine, June, 1994.

Bean v. Peterson, Superior Court of the State of New Hampshire, in and for Cheshire County, Case No. 95-E-0038. Malpractice suit brought by couple alleging psychologists' treatment temporarily convinced Mrs. Bean that she suffered from multiple personality disorder and had been programmed as a child by a satanic cult. Plaintiffs claimed the treatment caused her to become suicidal. Pending. See, Poor, E., "Jaffrey couple brings suit over malpractice: Beans charge that Dublin psychologist abused his position in treatment," Monadnock Ledger, May 18, 1995, p. 15.

Many, many more of these horror stories at http://fmsfonline.org/legalsurvey.html



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