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Unethical Use of Covert Hypnosis to Rape

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Earlier this month, former Ohio divorce attorney Michael W. Fine pleaded guilty to five counts of kidnapping and one count of attempted kidnapping. His crimes were not typical. Instead of using brute physical force, Fine used hypnosis.

In court documents Fine was accused of hypnotizing female clients for sexual purposes. According to my information, the first victim to step forward, Jane Doe 1, initially contacted police with her suspicions of sexual assault after she noticed she was unable to recall large portions of her time in meetings with Fine and that her clothes and bra were out of place after seeing him. At first, the police dismissed her complaints, advising her to simply find a new lawyer. However, Doe 1 persisted and allowed herself to be abused by Fine again so she could record what happened. After providing the recording to police and receiving the corroboration of a second victim, Jane Doe 2, the claims against Fine were examined more thoroughly and an investigation was opened. Eventually, Doe 1 helped police catch Fine in the act by wearing a listening device during a meeting. Law enforcement was able to hear and video record Fine using hypnotic techniques on his victim and catch him in the act before she was once again sexually assaulted.

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Hitting, Spanking, Paddling and Using Belts to Discipline Children is Harmful

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In the United States, it is illegal for a prison guard to hit a death row inmate, it is illegal for a military sergeant to hit a private and it is illegal for a man to hit his wife. But, it is legal for an adult to hit a child. In all 50 states, the use of physical punishments on children is legal in the home. In 21 of them, it is still legal to use physical punishment in schools. Children, it seems, are the exception to the rule when it comes to physical assault.

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New Book on Patty Hearst Falls Short of Understanding Undue Influence

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I recently read a NY Times book review of AMERICAN HEIRESS: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffrey Toobin and listened to an interview done with the author on NPR. Honestly, I was horrified at his lack of knowledge and understanding about undue influence and disagreed 100% with his conclusions. I felt like I was listening to a “cult apologist”- someone hired by cult groups to defend the group and say they are “fine”- for example, G. Gordon Melton flying to Japan after the sarin gas attacks to defend the Aum Shinrikyo cult. The cult leader, Shoko Asahara, is on death row for being guilty of the terrorist attacks on over five thousand of Japanese citizens.

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