Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 3138

Tonight's special guest is Lynn Crook from Seattle, Washington, a survivor, an author and an activist. Lynn's story is as fascinating as it is heartbreaking, powerful and inspiring, and perfect to share for NAASCA family members in April, which marks both National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. In 1991, Lynn sued her parents for damages after recovering memories of abuse by her father. Following a month-long trial in 1994, the judge ruled in her favor at a time when most popular press was telling us that adults' accusations of childhood sexual abuse were false memories. Lynn is the author of 'False Memories: The Deception That Silenced Millions', which explores her personal story of surviving sexual abuse and focuses the lens on the harmful mindset that therapists can plant false memories into patients. Her own experiences recovering memories of childhood sexual abuse sparked a life-long mission to give voice back to those who were silenced. What's this all about? When states allowed adults who were molested as children to sue for damages, accused parents went on the offense. The parents claimed the accusations were false memories implanted by therapists. The parents established a non-profit and invested millions in a PR campaign to promote themselves as falsely accused, and to dismiss crimes committed against children as false memories. As evidence, they offered the story of an older brother who convinced his younger brother he was lost at a mall. The false memory story went viral. The popular press and psychology textbooks failed to challenge false memory claims. Individuals who challenged false memories were silenced. The author explains how her successful lawsuit against her parents helped her uncover the rest of the false memory story.