Where does the Royal College of Psychiatry in Scotland really
stand on Can of Worms?
The report by Karen McVeigh (March 6) about the concerns being
expressed by the Scottish division of the Royal College of Psychiatry
about the booklet, Can of Worms, led to a flurry of correspondence
and an immediate denial by the royal college that it intended
to call for the withdrawal of the booklet.
You published a letter from the college, signed by Dr Tom Brown,
and others, which was very complimentary about the content of
the booklet, claiming their concerns were about material that
constituted only a tiny part of the overall content. I know the
concerns that I expressed in these columns were shared by other
individuals and organisations, including the Canadian False Memory
Support Group in Ontario, which wrote to the royal college.
On March 20, Dr Tom Brown replied to the Canadian group in the
following terms: "It should be clear that there were aspects
of this booklet with which we were deeply unhappy. We note the
sensible position statement published by the Canadian Psychiatric
Association and share many of its concerns, including its great
concern about any so-called 'recovered memory techniques'."
That is not quite the position claimed by Dr Tom Brown et al when
they wrote to The Herald, and I have written to the president
of the royal college, Professor Sheila Hollins, asking for clarification.
As soon as you carried Karen McVeigh's report, and it became clear
there were serious concerns about the nature of the publication,
Can of Worms, the child protection industry moved into gear to
assure your readers that all was well.
Now it would appear there are, indeed, grave doubts about the
publication, in the minds of the members of the Royal College
of Psychiatry. The public have a right to be made aware of what
those doubts are and why they are held. Too many lives have already
been destroyed by those who claim a monopoly of concern for the
welfare of children to allow this issue to be swept under the
carpet.
Jim Fairlie,
