Nearly 39 years ago, Margaret Kelly Michaels was indicted on hundreds of sexual abuse charges. Only a year after Michaels had begun working at Wee Car Day Nursery, she was accused and then convicted of 115 counts of sexual abuse based solely on the testimony of children (Possley, 2023). Nearly twenty children alleged that Michaels committed heinous acts against them, such as rape, oral sex, and forcing them to consume feces and urine. It all began when a young child told a nurse that Michaels had taken their temperature rectally. Naturally, this raised concerns and kickstarted the criminal investigation, ultimately reshaping how therapists, prosecutors, and social workers approach interviewing children in sensitive criminal cases (Possley, 2023). The investigation relied…show more content… The investigation and prosecution in the Kelly Michaels case reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of child psychology and the susceptibility of the young mind to suggestion and false memory formation. The techniques used by the therapists, such as repeated questioning and exposure to leading suggestions, are often unreliable and may fabricate memories (Brewer & Douglass, 2019). Moreover, the prosecution’s reliance on the children’s testimony alone, without corroborating physical evidence, highlights a failure to uphold the principles of justice and due process. The passion surrounding cases of alleged child abuse, especially sexual abuse, often leads to quick judgment, leading to the abandonment of a cohesive investigation and prioritizing a conviction. Considering what we have learned in this week’s module, the Kelly Michaels case highlights the importance of ensuring that investigations into allegations of child abuse are conducted with the utmost care and dedication to scientific
