International Skeptics Forum

International Skeptics Forum (https://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/forumindex.php)
-   General Skepticism and The Paranormal (https://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=7)
-   -   Melvin Morse arrested for waterboarding daughter (https://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=241579)

Ian 9th August 2012 01:06 AM

Melvin Morse arrested for waterboarding daughter
 
Woo-woo purveyor Melvin Morse has been arrested for accusations that he abused his eleven-year-old daughter.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/09/justic...html?hpt=hp_t1

http://www.spiritualscientific.com/

Beerina 9th August 2012 01:47 AM

Let him go. It's not abuse.

Andy_Ross 9th August 2012 03:15 AM

Waterboarding isn't torture (apparently) but it could be abuse.

Shiner 9th August 2012 03:34 AM

I am appalled by the alleged crimes, even more so by the apparent humour that people seem to get from it.
I'm referring to the comments below the article linked. Not sure about those above.
I assume it's reference to Guantanomo, but it's not very nice.

Cl1mh4224rd 9th August 2012 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beerina (Post 8522832)
Let him go. It's not abuse.


You could argue that it's not torture, but it almost certainly falls under abuse, especially when applied to an 11 year old child.

Checkmite 9th August 2012 07:52 AM

Being locked in a room or cell is not torture either; yet parents who do this to their children are routinely arrested.

HansMustermann 9th August 2012 09:29 AM

I'm not sure why water-boarding wouldn't count as torture, given that it's a horrible experience that most adults can't take for any amount of time and causes people to even sign their own death sentence just to end the ordeal. Especially when I read something in the article like, I kid you not:
The girl said her father said "she could go five minutes without brain damage," the newspaper reported, citing court documents.
FIVE MINUTES? Jesus Haploid Christ, even terrorists aren't put through five minutes of that. What kind of monster puts a 11 year old through that?

And the reference to brain damage is just making it worse, because basically he knows what he's doing to that child. Waterboarding IS basically drowning in slow motion, as water does accumulate into the lungs. It's what makes it a horrible experience, as, for all the senses can tell, the brain thinks you ARE drowning. Getting anywhere near the point where that can cause enough oxygen deprivation to even think about the possibility of brain damage is... an atrocity in any case, but doubly so when we're talking about a pre-teen child.

godless dave 9th August 2012 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HansMustermann (Post 8523987)
I'm not sure why water-boarding wouldn't count as torture,

Because the president says so, and his word is law! - actual paraphrase of an NPR news director

Femke 10th August 2012 07:35 AM

I'm having doubts with this story. All evidence seems to come from one 11 year old girl. It is not uncommon for an 11 year old to fabricate gruesome stories, where they are the centre of interest. Imagine how important it makes you feel if the police comes to save you, and everybody believes you, and makes you tell it over and over again. And Dad is taken away for being strict with you, yay.

One comment said: the father has a history of abuse, while all I got out of the story was that he was once accused of abuse, which is not the same.

If it is true I am appalled by both parents, and they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. But I am not convinced just yet.

catsmate 10th August 2012 09:01 AM

Is this purely abuse, or somehow related to his NDE "research"?

Careyp74 10th August 2012 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Femke (Post 8526381)
I'm having doubts with this story. All evidence seems to come from one 11 year old girl. It is not uncommon for an 11 year old to fabricate gruesome stories, where they are the centre of interest. Imagine how important it makes you feel if the police comes to save you, and everybody believes you, and makes you tell it over and over again. And Dad is taken away for being strict with you, yay.

One comment said: the father has a history of abuse, while all I got out of the story was that he was once accused of abuse, which is not the same.

If it is true I am appalled by both parents, and they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. But I am not convinced just yet.

I agree with you. All accusations need to be investigated when it comes to children, but to assume he is guilty from the article is a bit preemptive.

I wonder if there were any signs of abuse when the girl went to the friend's house and told the dragging story? I would think that being dragged by one foot across a gravel driveway would leave a mark. That is an obvious question the reporter should have asked before reporting.

PitPat 10th August 2012 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Femke (Post 8526381)
I'm having doubts with this story. All evidence seems to come from one 11 year old girl. It is not uncommon for an 11 year old to fabricate gruesome stories, where they are the centre of interest. Imagine how important it makes you feel if the police comes to save you, and everybody believes you, and makes you tell it over and over again. And Dad is taken away for being strict with you, yay.

One comment said: the father has a history of abuse, while all I got out of the story was that he was once accused of abuse, which is not the same.

If it is true I am appalled by both parents, and they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. But I am not convinced just yet.


Indeed. The article I read said the girl had previously lied about being abused.

Quote:

Hurley, the attorney, said the 11-year-old has some "opposition issues" and had complained to her parents several years ago about being abused by a half-sibling. He said the parents contacted authorities and the half-sibling was arrested, but that the girl confessed months later that the incident never happened and that she just didn't want the half-sibling living in the house.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...yndication=rss

It doesn't nullify the need for a thorough investigation, of course.


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:33 AM.

Powered by vBulletin. Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
© 2015-24, TribeTech AB. All Rights Reserved.