Does the case contribute to forensic psychological knowledge?
How can something of general value and interest be learned from a case such as the present one? In my view, the best way to use the case is to deduce tentative principles or hypotheses that it suggests and illustrates. Thus, six principles and topics for further research may be formulated on the basis of the case, and they may be of value in accumulating knowledge from this and other cases: 1. Stigmatizing those who behave in an unusual way. The process of stigmatization (Goffman, 1963) of the doctors took, as its starting point, the suspicions aroused in some key actors by the unusual behavior and personality of one of them. It is possible that deviating people are at risk when other factors are at play which demand that a culprit be found. Deviations can be quite innocent, yet a basis for ominous scenarios. Consider the case of preschool teacher Michaels (Bruck & Ceci, 1995) who was accused, and convicted, of severe sexual abuse of children. She may have acted in an unusual way at ti
