THINK OF THE CHILDREN:

THINK OF THE CHILDREN: Dorothy Rabinowitz writes on the Wall Street Journal editorial page about the dangers of false accusations and witch-hunts, particularly as they relate to child abuse.

Shortly after a jury convicted Kelly Michaels in 1988, a Los Angeles Times reporter put a question to the victorious prosecutors, Glenn Goldberg and Sara McArdle. He was curious about certain of the charges, said the journalist--things like the accused inserting knives into childrens' ears and such. Did they, the prosecutors, actually believe that kind of story?

No, Glenn Goldberg answered.

Oh, absolutely, came the reply from prosecutor McArdle. Both had answered at the same instant--doubtless a moment of revelation for Sara McArdle.

How jurors could have believed child witnesses who had given clearly fantastic testimony--another question often asked--was easier to answer. ...