Alternative “truths” of repressed memories: Views of judges of the Israeli supreme court

Abstract

Memory of childhood sexual abuse: Forgotten and recovered

Three cases of allegations of childhood sexual abuse committed by fathers on their daughters have been brought to the attention of the Israeli Supreme Court. The prosecution was based on recovered memories of traumatic experiences that had been completely forgotten by the plaintiffs for many years.

Amnesia accounted for in terms of repression

The expert witness for the prosecution accounted for the long amnesia in terms of unconscious repression of the traumatic memories.

Recovered memory: Veridical or false?

The repression hypothesis has encountered severe theoretical and methodological criticisms which have cast doubt on the very existence of this mechanism.

Proposal for a solution of the dilemma

This controversy, which has far-reaching legal implications, may be reconciled by adopting the notion of multiple “truths”, and by accepting recovered memory allegations only when corroborated by external evidence.