McMartin Preschool Trial英.docx

McMartin Preschool Trial英.docx

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McMartinPreschoolTrial英

2019年McMartinPreschoolTrial（英）

TheMcMartinPreschoolAbuseTrial:

ACommentary

byDougLinder（2019）

　　TheMcMartinPreschoolAbuseTrial,thelongestandmostexpensivecriminaltrialinAmericanhistory,shouldserveasacautionarytale.Whenitwasallover,thegovernmenthadspentsevenyearsand$15milliondollarsinvestigatingandprosecutingacasethatledtonoconvictions.Moreseriously,theMcMartincaseleftinitswakehundredsofemotionallydamagedchildren,aswellasruinedcareersformembersoftheMcMartinstaff.NoonepaidabiggerpricethanRayBuckey,oneoftheprincipaldefendantsinthecase,whospentfiveyearsinjailawaitingtrialforacrime（mostpeoplerecognizetoday）henevercommitted.McMartinjurorBrendaWilliamssaidthatthetrialexperiencetaughthertobemorecautious:

"Inowrealizehoweasilysomethingcanbesaidandmisinterpretedandblownoutofproportion."Anotherjuror,MarkBassett,singledout"experts"forblame:

"Ithoughtsomeoftheexperttestimonyaboutthechildrentoldyoumoreabouttheexpertthanthechild.Imean,iftheexpertsayschildrenarealways100%believableandthenyouhaveachildwhoisnotbelievable,eithertheexpertisextremelybiasedorthey'veneverseenanythinglikethatchildbefore."

　　TheMcMartintrialhaditsoriginsinacallplacedtopoliceinManhattanBeach,CaliforniabyJudyJohnson,themotherofatwo-and-a-half-year-oldsonwhoattendedtheMcMartinPreschoolonabouttenoccasionsin1983.JohnsontoldDetectiveJaneHoagthataschoolaide,RayBuckey,the25-year-oldsonoftheownerofthepreschool,hadmolestedherson.DespitethefactthattheyoungboywasunabletoidentifyRayfromphotosandmedicalinvestigationsoftheboyshowednosignsofsexualabuse,thepoliceconductedsearchesofBuckey'shome,confiscatingsuch"evidence"asarubberduck,agraduationrobe,andPlayboymagazines.DetectiveHoagarrestedBuckeyonSeptember7,1983.

　　Thenextday,PoliceChiefHarryKuhlmeyersentaletterto200McMartinPreschoolparentsinformingthemthatRayBuckeywassuspectedofchildabuseandaskingthemforinformation.Theletteraskedparentsto"questionyourchildtoseeifheorshehasbeenawitnesstoanycrimeorifheorshehasbeenavictim."Theletterlistedthepossiblecriminalactsunderinvestigation:

　　[Theactsinclude]oralsex,fondlingofgenitals,buttockorchestarea,andsodomy,possiblycommittedunderthepretenseof"takingthechild'stemperature."Alsophotosmayhavebeentakenofchildrenwithouttheirclothing.AnyinformationfromyourchildregardinghavingeverobservedRayBuckeytoleaveaclassroomalonewithachildduringanynapperiod,oriftheyhaveeverobservedRayBuckeyRayBuckeytieupachild,isimportant.

　　ChiefKuhlmeyer'sletterendedbyaskingparents"topleasekeepthisinvestigationstrictlyconfidentialbecauseofthenatureofthechargesandthehighlyemotionaleffectitcouldhaveonourcommunity.Pleasedonotdiscussthisinvestigationwithanyoneoutsideyourimmediatefamily."Needlesstosay,itwasn'tlongbeforeeveryoneconnectedwiththeMcMartinPreschool,andindeedmosteveryoneintheLosAngelesmetropolitanarea,knewoftheongoinginvestigationofRayBuckey.JudyJohnson'sreportsofmisbehaviorattheMcMartinPreschoolbecameincreasinglybizarre.SheclaimedthatPeggyBuckey,Ray'smother,wasinvolvedinsatanicpractices:

shewassaidtohavetakenJohnson'ssontoachurch,wheretheboywasmadetowatchababybeingbeheaded,andthenwasforcedtodrinktheblood.SheinsistedthatRayBuckeyhadsodomizedhersonwhilehisheadwasinthetoilet,andhadtakenhimtoacarwashandlockedhiminthetrunk.JohnsontoldpolicethatRayprancedaroundthepreschoolinacapeandaSantaClauscostume,andthatotherteachersattheschoolchoppeduprabbitsandplaced"somesortofstar"onherson'sbottom.

　　EventuallymostprosecutorswouldcometorecognizeJohnson'sallegationsasthedelusionsofaparanoidschizophrenic,butthesnowballofsuspicionhadbeenstartedrolling.ChiefKuhlmeyer'sletterledtonewaccusationsanddemandsfromparentsforafull-scaleinvestigationofdoingsattheMcMartinPreschool.Bowingtothispressure,theDistrictAttorney'sofficehandedamajorportionofthecontinuinginvestigationovertoKeeMacFarlane,aconsultantfortheChildren'sInstituteInternational（CII）,anagencyforthetreatmentofabusedchildren.

　　ParentswereencouragedtosendtheirchildrentoCIIfortwo-hourinterviews.MacFarlanepressed400children,throughaseriesofleadingquestionsandtheofferofrewards,toreportinstancesofabuseatMcMartin.Childrengenerallydeniedseeinganyevidenceofabuseatfirst,buteventuallymanygaveMacFarlanethestoriesthatsheclearlywantedtohear.Aftertheinterviews,MacFarlanetoldparentsthattheirchildrenhadbeenabused,anddescribedthenatureoftheallegedabuse.ByMarch1984,384formerMcMartinstudentshadbeendiagnosedassexuallyabused.

　　Inadditiontointerviews,150childrenreceivedmedicalexaminations.Dr.AstridHeger,ofCII,concludedthat80%ofthechildrensheexaminedhadbeenmolested.Forthemostpart,shebasedherfindingsnotonphysicalevidence,butonmedicalhistoriesandherbeliefthat"anyconclusionshouldvalidatethechild'shistory."

　　OnMarch22,1984,agrandjuryindictedRayBuckey,PeggyBuckey（Ray'smother）,PeggyAnnBuckey（Ray'ssister）,VirginiaMcMartin（founderofthepreschoolthirtyyearsearlier）,andthreeotherMcMartinteachers,MaryAnnJackson,BetteRaidor,andBabetteSpitler.Thegrandjuryinitiallyindictedthe"McMartinSeven"on115countsofchildsexualabuse.Twomonthslater,andadditional93indictmentcountswereadded,asDistrictAttorneyRobertPhilobosianpursuedhisstrategyofhypingtheMcMartincasetoboosthischancesinanupcomingprimaryelection.InJune,bailforPeggyBuckeywassetatonemilliondollars.RayBuckeywasheldwithoutbail.

　　ThePreliminaryHearing

　　BythetimethepreliminaryhearingbeganinAugust1984,ProsecutorLaelRubinwastellingthemediathatthesevendefendantscommitted397sexualcrimes（farmorethanthenumberforwhichtheywereindicted）andthatthirtyadditionalindividualsassociatedwiththeMcMartinPreschoolwereunderinvestigation.

　　SearchesoftheMcMartinPreschoolandthehomesofdefendantsfailedtoproducemuchincriminatingevidence.Nonudephotographsofchildrenwerediscovered,despitetheinsistenceofinvestigatorsandparentsthatsuchphotographingwascommonplaceatMcMartin.Noevidencewasfoundofthe"secretrooms"wheremassiveinstancesofsexualabuseweresaidtohavetakenplace.InMarch1985,agroupofnearlyfiftyMcMartinparents,determinedtounearththefabledsecrettunnels,begindiggingatalotnexttotheschool.Afewdayslater,theparentswerejoinedintheireffortsbyanarcheologicalfirmhiredbytheDistrictAttorney'soffice.Still,nosecretroomswereeverdiscovered.

　　Thelongest——andprobablystrangest——preliminaryhearinginhistorybeganbeforeMunicipalCourtJudgeAvivaBobbinearly1984.Thechaoticproceedingfeaturedsevendefendants（eachwithhisorherownattorney）andthreeprosecutors.Unlikethetypicalpreliminaryhearinginwhichtheprosecutiontriestodemonstratecauseforbringingthedefendantstotrialandthedefensepassivelyobserves,thedefenseintheMcMartinhearingmountedan"affirmativedefense,"aggressivelycross-examiningaparadeofprosecutionwitnessesincludingallegedlyabusedchildren,McMartinparents,therapists,andmedicalexperts.Thedefenserepeatedlytriedtoraisequestionsastohowabuseonsuchamassivescalecouldhavegoneundetectedforyearsandsuggestedthatmuchofthetestimonyoftheprosecution'schildwitnesseswasflatlyunbelievable.

　　KeeMacFarlanetestifiedatthepreliminaryhearingthattheabusewasabletogoonforyearsbecausechildreneithersufferedfrom"denialsyndrome"orwereafraidthatrevealingMcMartin'sdarksecretswouldresultintheirowndeaths,orthedeathsoffamilymembers.MacFarlaneexplainedthatshesucceededinbringingoutthesecretswiththehelpofanatomicallycorrectdollsandasetofpuppets,throughwhichsheaskedchildrenquestionsduringherinterviews.ThepuppetsincludedMr.Alligator,Mr.Snake,DetectiveDog,andMr.Sparky.VideotapesoftheinterviewsalsoshowedthatMacFarlaneandothertherapistsreliedheavilyonleadingquestionsandsubtlepressuretopersuadechildrentojointhechorusofaccusers.ThedefenseplayedtapesthatshowedtherapistShawnConnerlytellingachildintervieweethat183kidshadalreadyrevealed"yuckysecrets"andthatalltheMcMartinteacherswere"sickinthehead"anddeservedtobebeatenup.

　　Thetestimonyofchildrenatthepreliminaryhearingwasshockinglybizarre,andoftenriddledwithinconsistenciesandcontradictions.SeveralchildrenreportedbeingphotographedwhileperformingnudesomersaultsaspartoftheNakedMovieStarGame.Onechildsaidthatasthegamewasbeingplayedthechildrensang,"Whatyouseeiswhatyouare,you'reanakedmoviestar!

"Otherstestifiedastoplayinganudeversionof"CowboysandIndians"——sometimeswiththeIndianssexuallyassaultingthecowboys,andsometimesviceversa.Childrentestifiedthatsexualassaultstookplaceonfarms,incircushouses,inthehomesofstrangers,incarwashes,instorerooms,andina"secretroom"atMcMartinaccessiblebyatunnel.OneboytoldofwatchinganimalsacrificesperformedbyMcMartinteacherswearingrobesandmasksinacandle-litceremonyatSt.CrossEpiscopalChurch.Inresponsetoadefensequestion,theboyad