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News and Comment

'Sybil' Exposed After Sales of 6 Million Copies in the U.S. Alone

An unhealthy relationship between patient and therapist coupled with copious quantities of mind-altering drugs and unscientific treatment provided the backdrop to the shocking bestseller ‘Sybil’ in 1973. Now the ‘real-life’ claims of the book and subsequent film adaptations made in 1976 and 2007 have been exposed as fake. In Debbie Nathan’s new book ‘Sybil Exposed – The Extraordinary Story behind the famous Multiple Personality Case’ she denounces the Sybil story as fiction created with fame and fortune in mind.

The story of Sybil played a major role in a serge of multiple personality disorders which rose from less than 100 before the publication to more than 40,000 in the years that followed. See recent press coverage and here.

Extend anonymity in rape cases to defendants - October 2011

With yet another historic allegation hitting the headlines in the past few days isn't it time to reconsider the issue of anonymity for defendants in rape cases until there is sufficient substance to a case, before the media revel in naming and shaming a person who may still be shown to be innocent of the alleged crime?

Michael Le Vell, long serving actor in the popular soap, 'Coronation Street', in his role as Kevin Webster, has been accused of raping a child of six, some ten years ago. He vehemently denies the claim. He has been interviewed, arrested and bailed by the Greater Manchester Police pending their further enquiries. Meanwhile, with a surfeit of press and media coverage, this man's life has been thrown into disarray along with the lives of his wife and children.

An allegation can be made in an instant but the effects of doing so can linger for decades. Such suffering may be considered by some as apposite for an offender but if there remains the possibility that the accused might be innocent and falsely accused, as Michael Le Vell, has professed, then the justice system owes a 'duty of care' to those going through its procedures to protect an individual's good character and integrity until such time as they can show otherwise.

We acknowledge there could be exceptional circumstances in some cases where there is an issue of public safety warranting publicity about a case but there is no evidence released so far to justify such an approach in this case and many similar ones.

Last summer the Coalition Government came to power pledging to 'extend anonymity in rape cases to defendants', with ministers stressing the need to 'protect anyone who may be wrongly accused from harmful stigma'. It is regrettable that David Cameron seemed to bow to pressure from campaigners with Justice Minister Crispin Blunt saying that the government would rather put pressure on the media not to name suspects than bring in a new law.

It is now quite clear that the 'non-statutory solution' has failed. We call on the Government to re-consider its position with some urgency.

In other news:

Justice for Carol

www.justiceforcarol.com has been created to draw public attention to what happened to a beloved sister and daughter after she came to believe that she was the survivor of a satanic cult. It is a truly shocking story. What is amazing is the determination and capability of the family to discover what happened to Carol over a period of a decade and a half when she was estranged from her family.

'The Ravages of False Memories - or manipulated memory'

by Brigitte Axelrad and translated into English from French by Robert Shaw. This book provides clear and informative answers for patients, families, professionals and lawyers about so-called recovered memory.

Onsale now from Amazon or any good book shop or direct from BFMS. It is available either from stock or through prompt print on demand. see Books Page (This page is currently under construction.)