Kathleen MacFarlane

Kathleen MacFarlane, better known as Kee (born 1947), is an American social worker known for involvement in the high-profile McMartin preschool trials in the 1980s. She was the Director of Children's Institute International. She developed the concept of the anatomically correct doll for children to use during interviews concerning abuse and played a significant role in the McMartin trial. MacFarlane has been criticized for her methods of interrogating small children. Charges against the defendants eventually were dropped.

Professional Training

She received a bachelor's degree in fine arts at Denison University in Ohio and later received her master's degree in social work. After graduation, MacFarlane became a lobbyist for the National Organization for Women and grant evaluator for the National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect, later becoming the Director of Children's Institute International (CII). In the time leading up to the McMartin preschool trial, MacFarlane described herself as a psychotherapist but lacked any professional licenses.

McMartin Preschool Trial

As part of her job at CII, MacFarlane interviewed 400 children for the McMartin preschool trial using anatomically correct dolls and hand puppets. MacFarlane believed that the children suffered from child sexual abuse accommodation syndrome, and would deny sexual abuse without special techniques designed to encourage disclosure. The interview techniques MacFarlane used during the investigation into the allegations were highly suggestive and invited children to pretend or speculate about supposed events. By spring of 1984, it was claimed that 360 children had been abused. Astrid Heppenstall Heger performed medical examinations and took photos of what she believed to be minute scarring which she stated was caused by anal penetration. Critics have alleged that the questioners repetitively asked the children leading questions which, it is said, always yields positive responses from young children, making it impossible to know what the child actually experienced. Others believe that the questioning itself may have led to false memory syndrome among the children who were questioned. Ultimately only 41 of the original 360 children testified during the grand jury and pretrial hearings, and fewer than a dozen testified during the actual trial.

Belief in Satanic Conspiracies

MacFarlane went on to testify before Congress that she believed there was an organized, nationwide conspiracy of individuals and "orthodox satanic groups" sexually abusing children, although she never presented evidence of who any of the individuals were nor proof of any orthodox satanic groups.

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