Hyping Hypnosis: The Myth That Made Capturing the Friedmans Persuasive

Those promoting the idea of "false memory syndrome" often invoke the specter of hypnosis to discredit those making accusations of sexual abuse and anyone they might have spoken to for investigative or therapeutic purposes. Capturing the Friedmans demonstrates that accusations of hypnosis have strong rhetorical value, even when they are not true. The film, classified as a documentary, tells the story of a family that is shattered when the father and son both plead guilty to sexually abusing boys in the after-school classes in their basement. Using tropes about hypnosis and misrepresenting the actual facts in the case, the movie persuaded many people that Jesse Friedman was actually innocent. A detailed Conviction Integrity Review that was prompted by the movie demonstrates that the conviction was sound, and that the movie is suspect.