NCJ Number
194441
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 9 Issue: 3/4 Dated: 2001 Pages: 37-52
Editor(s)
Robert Geffner Ph.D.
Date Published
2001
Length
16 pages
Annotation
In this article, the case study of the sexual abuse prosecution and conviction of Robert Halsey is presented as a way to explore the rhetoric and tactics of the child sexual abuse "false conviction" movement.
Abstract
A discussion of the "false conviction" movement within child sexual abuse studies as illustrated through the study Robert Halsey case is presented in this article. Halsey, a former Massachusetts school bus driver, was convicted of sexually abusing two young boys assigned to his bus route. Evidence presented in Halsey’s trial included corroborating witness testimony, physical evidence and medical evidence. The criminal investigation into Halsey began in 1993 when a set of 5 year-old twins assigned to Halsey’s route came forward with allegations of sexual abuse to their parents. The parents in turn contacted the police and a formal investigation was begun. During the investigation, the police found that Halsey had been the subject of a prior allegation of physical abuse of bus passengers. In his criminal defense, Halsey’s attorneys asserted that if the boys had been molested, they had been molested by a third party, not Halsey. Halsey was sentenced to two consecutive life terms and his subsequent appeal of the conviction was denied. Discussion of the Mertz and Lonsway (1998) research paper is provided to present a framework for the analysis of effective denials of child sexual abuse allegations. The first point within that framework is the use of "language games," the equivocation or minimization of the descriptions of the abuse. The second point is to "reframe the issues and attack the source" of the allegations. This can be accomplished by impugning the investigation and then by combining an incorrect word with a vague one in reconstructing a description of the abuse. According to the author, use of these narrative styles by a diverse group of commentators have allowed the Halsey case to achieve effective denial status. 13 notes, 16 references