I sent the following letter to the "Boston Globe."
On 19 Aug 99, they had run a short editorial supporting the decision of the MA Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) to uphold the day-care ritual-abuse conviction of Cheryl Amirault. They did not print any letters either for or against the SJC decision.

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21 Aug 99

To the Editor of the "Boston Globe":

It was misleading to place an article on Judge Borenstein's alleged leniency [toward defendants in general] opposite your report of the SJC's ruling against Cheryl Amirault (Thur 19 Aug 1999, pp. A14, A15). Uninformed readers might get the impression that only a "bleeding-heart" could be persuaded by the defense.

In reality, three out of the four trial judges, those most responsible for detailed examination of the facts of the case, believe Cheryl Amirault's conviction should be thrown out. Among them is Judge Robert Barton, sometimes known as "Black Bart" for his tough law-and-order approach to *real* criminals.

In Wednesday's disgraceful ruling, the SJC offered no credible explanation

(1) why, if Fells Acres was such a hell of ritual abuse, not a single incident was ever witnessed by the steady stream of parents, tradesmen, and others who made unannounced visits at all times of the day.

(2) why, after the Fells Acres story broke, not a *single* student from the previous 19 years came forward to say, "Yes, now that you mention it, something like that happened to me also!" (In contrast, the public indictment of Father James Porter brought forth a flood of new witnesses from previous years.) Was it purely coincidence that no problems showed up with Fells Acres before the nationwide day-care hysteria of the 1980s?

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This ruling is SJC's go-ahead for victimhood zealots, win-at-any-cost divorce attorneys, politicians-on-the-make, and quack psychotherapists to resume injecting the minds of helpless toddlers with toxic garbage. The painfully-won reforms of the last year are at gravest risk. Children's Hospital, shamed a few months ago ("Boston Globe," Mon 8 Mar 99, pp. A1, A6) into cleaning up their "Child Protection Team"s kidnap-and-perjury ring, can now go back to business as usual. (Does "kidnap-and-perjury" sound too harsh? I refer to their falsified testimony in the Matthew Zola case, eg "Boston Globe," Sun 9 Aug 98, pp. A1, A24.) The Middlesex County DA can now wink at her investigators -- announced reforms ("Boston Globe," Mon 29 Mar 99, pp. A1, B12) in interviewing child witnesses, to reduce the risk of brainwashing, need not be taken too seriously -- winning is all that matters. And, like the Medieval guild of "compra-chicos," who bought children to mutilate them professionally into future beggars, Massachusetts quacks can continue to maim children's minds, to provide a new generation for the "survivor" industry.

Unless the Federal courts shake some sense into the SJC, it is time for the other 49 States and the civilized nations of the world to "save their children" by making it a felony, punishable by 20 years imprisonment, to transport a child under age 8 within reach of Massachusetts "therapy." (But perhaps I should say "48 States." Washington State, with political demographics similar to Massachusetts, hosts the worm-filled apple of Wenatchee, a Satanic-ritual-abuse scare that has destroyed even more families than Fells Acres.) Others will be aware that Massachusetts, like many Third World tourist destinations, can be an attractive place to visit, but one whose court system should not be taken at face value.

--Hugo S. Cunningham