The woman said psychotherapy in her teens helped her recover traumatic memories from when she attended her family’s church in Michigan and on a mission trip.

The woman said psychotherapy in her teens helped her recover traumatic memories from when she attended her family’s church in Michigan and on a mission trip.

As a young girl, Marian Ippel was consumed by recurring thoughts and dreams of herself and other children being raped. Her yearly physical provoked fear.

It wasn’t until 2020, after months of therapy to address her anxiety and depression, that the inexplicable feeling of dread began to click: Then 17, she recovered memories, she said, of sexual assault by fellow church members abusing her when she was around 3 and 4 years old.

Now 21, Ippel is accusing her Grand Rapids, Michigan, church of creating a culture that fostered alleged abuse in a lawsuit that is not typical: Her complaint, filed Monday in Kent County Circuit Court, claims harm was done to her at such a young age, while hinging on memories that she says she retrieved later in life.

  • MagicShel@programming.dev
    10·
    3 months ago

    Our memory is so unreliable. I have some very clear memories from my childhood that I can prove to myself couldn’t have happened the way I remember.

    I have no reason to doubt this happened, especially since repressing memories is a trauma response, but proving it in court without good corroborating evidence is going to be nigh impossible.

    • forrgott@lemm.ee
      143·
      3 months ago

      So you’re saying the statistically less likely option is the one you think is most likely to have been the case?

      Not only is this kind of view dangerous and prejudiced, it is quite simply not supported by the data.

        • Mr_Dr_Oink@lemmy.world
          62·
          3 months ago

          I hope people dont believe you the next time you claim that something deplorable happened to you.

          Then you will likely argue that people should start bybassuming you might be telling the truth and look at evidence and investigate the case before determining that you were telling the truth or lying.

          Your tendency to think a woman is lying for money when making claims of rape is the problem women face today. And have always faced, for that matter.

          We dont shoot first and ask questions later. If she is lying, then it will come out when scrutinised. If she isnt lying then its a damn good thing we didn’t just brush her away isnt it…