Jerusalem – The rioting in Jerusalem over the arrest of a woman accused of abusing her three year old son is certainly horrifying. The destruction, and mayhem, are not only inexcusable, but the perpetrators, until they make financial amends, have disqualified themselves from ever being a kosher witness at a Jewish wedding. Torah Jews do not act in such a manner, and it should be very strongly condemned by Jewish leaders, those found responsible should be held accountable.
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Nonetheless, just because some have reacted in such a horrific manner, does not necessarily mean that the story presented by the secular media and the hospital is necessarily true.
VIN News decided to investigate further. When investigating, one must be open to the possibility that the truth can be anywhere. If possible information should be verified by more than Is the woman in question suffering from Munchausen-by-proxy syndrome (MBPS)? Perhaps she is. Perhaps not. Is the hospital covering up something or merely guessing because they have not identified the source of why this child is sick? Perhaps it is. Perhaps it is not.
There are Chareidi people who are criminals and there are Chareidi people who have mental illnesses. However, by the same token there are hospitals that cover up information and accuse people of Muckhausen syndrome improperly. It is well documented that many hospitals in the United States have had a history of doing such things. To see just a few of these cases, see the work of Dr. Helen Hayward-Brown (http://www.pnc.com.au/~heleneli/newsletter.htm).
VIN News, however, was able to uncover new information that could perhaps shed light on the current situation. The source in contact with VIN News has been following the child’s progress throughout his stay on the fifth floor in the hospital. The child’s stay on the fifth floor began in room one of the fifth floor. The child later transferred to room three but remained there for only a short while. The camera was set up by the hospital in room five.
This source has informed us that the child was always fed throughout the night and that the woman was, in fact, tampering with the food intake during the daytime and did so in front of at least two others. The mother did this, according to the source, because she could not stand to see the sight of her son vomiting. While this may not be legal, it does not necessarily reflect MBPS.
It also reflects the behavior of typical Charedi parents who often do not listen to the recommendations of doctors in circumstances where the doctors are not sure of the underlying issues. This information was not confirmed by another source other than the one in touch with us, but this author is absolutely convinced that the source is reporting the information accurately.
Another source inside the hospital has informed us that even after the mother has been removed from the scene, the child is still vomiting his food. The hospital, according to this second source, has not yet officially released this crucial fact. This indicates that the child is suffering from something else other than the alleged MBPS of his mother. The information from this source has not been independently confirmed either.
Dr. Helen Hayward-Brown states that mothers whose children suffer illnesses which cannot be easily diagnosed are at risk of being accused, particularly in the hospital context. The prejudice of this label is so great that a mother’s credibility is completely destroyed. Children are usually removed from their care, often without adequate investigation, and mothers are only allowed minimal supervised contact with their children.
Dr. Hayward-Brown, in her article on the subject, notes that the MSBP diagnosis generally lacks scientific validity. It is not a definitive category in the DSM IV (1994), only appearing in the appendix. It is a recent and extremely controversial diagnosis (Allison and Roberts, 1998). Expert testimony is often unreliable and usually does not fit the criteria established in the U.S in Daubert v Merrell Dow Parm. Inc. Despite its highly controversial nature, MSBP is being used extensively in the medical profession, by social services, and in court.
In this author’s opinion, the situation can quite often be exasperated by the distrust that Chareidi families have of outsiders, and particularly those in the medical profession. It is already known that Thus the mother’s actions could have been misinterpreted by these various social factors.
It should also be noted that hospitals are not perfect. Hadassah Hospital’s perhaps most notorious error was in having administered anti-coagulant drugs to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon despite his having been diagnosed with cerebral amyloid angiopathy. This is a medicine that, by all counts, is clearly counter-indicated for such an illness.
Hadassah Hospital, however, generally has an excellent reputation and has literally saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Although people do err and err frequently, it would be wrong to point to errors and assume the worst of a very special group of people. The issue of hakaras HaTov, recognizing the good that others have done and continue to do for us is a very important point that should never be set aside.
In short, it is also not certain whether the truth will ever be known with certainty. If the child will still remain ill the hospital could still maintain that it is the after-effects of the malnutrition placed upon the child by his mentally ill mother. If the child gets better the supporters of the family might maintain that the child recovered from an illness.
Let us all hope and daven, however, that the child recovers a refuah shleimah besoch shaar cholei yisroel. Amain.
The author may be contacted at [email protected]
Wow. Well reasoned, articulate and persuasive. If only the Charedei community had more people capable of such illuminating remarks they wouldn’t be viewed by most outsiders as primitive neanderthals.
The syndrome is called “Munchhausen” and is named after a German imposter
I didn’t see in a long time such a anti chareidi article
Let me get this straight, you are quoting an unpublished newsletter that has no indication of peer review as your source? Who is this Dr. Hayword -Brown? At which University does she work? How often is she cited? How much credibility is she given?
You cite the DSM IV without direct page reference , and no make no indication of any of the discussion surrounding the issue for the publication of the DSM V (which is under preparation).
You back up your assertion with another study from 11 years ago?
Get real!
Rabbi your article tries to portray impartiality but horribly fails at it. It makes this article look like a poor excuse for an incompetent parent and you as her apologist. I think you should have waited for the results of the psychiatric evaluation before speaking out on this issue…
Perhaps the mother has Munchausen, perhaps she does not.
Perhaps she has some other psychiatric condition.
HOWEVER:
1) The mother was arrested because she was suspected of having committed a very serious crime, not because she has a psychiatric condition.
2)She was considered a potential threat to another human being and the State had to act to protect a vulnerable child.
3) The only reason she remained in prison was because she refused to cooperate with the investigation and refused to submit to a psychiatric evaluation.
4) The writer here gives equal consideration to the a hospital/police/courts conspiracy as he does to the possibility that
A)The hospital is simply trying to protect a helpless child in light of what is possibly a serious threat to his life. Even if it turns out that the hospital was wrong, this does not mean that there was a conspiracy. Rather, they were being cautious in case where a child’s life was concerned and the evidence seemed to indicate that the mother MIGHT be a threat.
Also, is it really the same thing to say that doctors are human and make mistakes as it is to say that they would frame this woman and engage in a massive conspiracy and cover-up?
“until they make financial amends, have disqualified themselves from ever being a kosher witness at a Jewish wedding. Torah Jews do not act in such a manner, and it should be very strongly condemned by Jewish leaders, those found responsible should be held accountable.”
SAYS WHO??? A new lamden?!? A new Rabbi??? Do you have smicha to pasken and do you know all the facts? Obviously you keep believing the doctors and the media and you have never discussed it with the Rabbanim involved nor with the family. Do you know in what harsh conditions the woman was found in the jail cell that it was a mitzvah to get her out of there no matter in what way?
“VIN News decided to investigate further….”
Well, Rabbanim who were updated with the facts and have the license to pasken, think differently than you and you still continue fabricating stories balonies on this woman. If anything YOU transgressed lashon hara and motzi shem ra on an innocent women and a large crowd of Jews disqualifying YOU from ever being a kosher witness!
Nobody made you the spokesman of klal yisrael. Take care of yourself first, then take care of others. The only ones that might believe your fabrications are the ones that have believed the Left “Tishkoret” until now. The rest of the world know the truth about the doctors in Hadassah hospital involved in the case.
BY THE WAY this “Munchausen-by-proxy syndrome” is a theory that was once accepted and has since been disapproved in England. There is no solid evidence that such a disorder exists. The Israeli doctors know it quite well and are trying to convince the unsophisticated public of this sickness.
Everyone please – think before you post!!!!
All of you who posted critically against this woman – Pray to Hashem that your words should not turn against you and that you should never be in this poisition. That you should need to defend yourself against alllegations that were fabricated against you.
All of you who condemned her should apologize and proclaim her innocent until really PROVEN guilty – with the same venom and viciousness!
whoever wrote she’s a criminal – or throw the key away – or criminal – or cruel woman – or that she must show up at the shrink without being given a decent amount of time to prepare herself – Here’s your chance to rectify your sin of Loshon Hora and post you may have made a mistake – Even Anonymously will do!!!!!
And to those who doubt what i’m saying – have you read the doctors article in it’s entirety???????
So if she doesn’ have MBP, then the video evidence indicates that she’s a criminal.
This is BS. The mother was seen pulling IV tubes out of the kid’s arm. Moreover, since the mother has been removed from the situation, the kid gained 1.7 KG, which is almost 4 pounds. He now weighs almost 9 kg (18 pounds). That’s a strong indication the mother was making the child sick.
If, when the child leaves the hospital, and he’s of normal or near-normal weight (which would be about 16 kg for a child his age), it would be extremely strong circumstantial evidence of Munchausen’s Syndrome by proxy. There is no reason to doubt the veracity of Hadassah Hospital, and every reason to doubt that of the conspiracy theorists.
While this mother is obviously mentally ill (which doesn’t mean she’s not also a criminal — Charles Manson was mentally ill too), what’s really bad is the reaction of the Edah Haredim, who deserve all the approbation they’re getting and then some.
“Munchaussen” is when a patient fakes their own illness. It becomes “by proxy” when they create a fake illness in their child. Both are fascinating stories and generally follow the tale of a witchhunt, where the hunted cannot possibly escape unharmmed. Classic guilt by accusation.
What, no story about cancer and chemotherapy! This guy (the author) is also in denial You cannot write about this situation without addressing the fact that the mother, and all those around her, said that the child had cancer and was treated via chemotherapy. That is a lie. The hospital staff denied this and it is now ancient history. The writer conveniently has forgotten about this. The hospital told the truth; the mother lied. That’s where we start from. Munchhausen/Shmuntzhausen and Helen Hayward-Brown and even Sigmund Freud. None matter. Apparently the hospital is closer to reality – the defenders are simply paranoid. Does this include the writer? I don’t know. It could be that he is just spreading BS because a certain community has to be defended at all cost.
Let’s be clear. It is true that Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy is a rare condition and difficult to diagnose. But MSBP by definition, is merely attempting to explain a motive of why a caregiver might abuse a child. So in most cases when MSBP is suspected, it is when we are aware of an abusive situation, but are trying to assign a syndrome to explain why the abuse took place. It is true that it is difficult to diagnose this syndrome. In layman’s terms, we can not be sure that the mother in this case suffers from the rare disorder called MSBP. If she does, it would explain why she did what she did. On the other hand, if she does not suffer from MSBP, then the evidence would lead us to believe that she is a more typical run of the mill child abuser. The fact that MSBP is difficult to diagnose does not give her a free pass.
From all that I have heard through this blog, I must state that the evidence does suggest MSBP. MSBP mothers are usually very attentive to the effected child. They usually don’t leave their bedside. The child is usually diagnosed with various unexplained illnesses over a long time. The child’s condition does not seem to improve, even in cases that is expected to improve. The mother usually expresses extensive knowledge of various medical conditions and has no qualms about disagreeing with doctors regarding the course of treatment, and usually runs around to various medical institutions in a vain attempt to “rescue” her child. When the mother is removed from the child, the child suddenly starts to improve. She is usually described as an ideal mother to her other children. (When I say mother, it is because in this case we are dealing with the mother. Also, because over 90% of MSBP sufferers are mothers.)
Although many of these characteristics can sometimes be used to describe a typical yiddishe mamme, when taken as a whole, and when all factors are considered, a pattern usually emerges that leads to the diagnosis.
Rabbi Hoffman: I admire your effort to investigate this serious case.
My neighbor, who moved from Isreal a few years ago, is a first cousin with the mother accused of starving her son. She told my wife that she knows the woman and the family very well; the woman is a real kind darling mother to all her children. The family always knew about this child’s medical conditions and even the Hospital saved thousands of lives, in this case they misdiagnosed an innocent child who is continuing to suffer to a terrible extend.
My heart goes out to the poor child and to his mother, expecting in the seventh month, who I truly believe is innocent and tried and is still trying to do the very best for her child as we all do and all Yiddish Momes are doing for their lovely children. If it wouldn’t be the 3 weeks I would have Yossele Rosenblatt’s Yiddish Mome playing in my office, my car, my home and on my phones ringtone in honor of the Yiddish Mome.
I will not say goodbye before expressing my disappointment of the so-called Jewish state. Why do we need it? Aren’t we having enough? It’s clear that having an own state before the redemption by g-d himself is a terrible sin. All of our great rabbis, the holy Chufetz Chiam, Reb Elchunen, the holy Rebbe of Belz, and foremost the Gemore says that if we will not keeping the 3 shvous, Ani Matir Es b’sarchem rc”l.
Didn’t we have enough from the Germen Nazis? Aren’t you all thinking that the great thread by the Iranians and the rest of the Muslim world to us is a message from our father in haven: Sivu Bonim Shivuvim?!
We are in the midst of the 3 weeks when we are sorrowing for the churben and we are asking for the quick rebuilding of the holy city and the holy land ONLY BY HASHEM.
The Rabbet (the one the Tor in Shichun Urich states all over) I don’t remember exactly where he says it but I can look for it if some wants me to, says on what we are saying 3 times a day “V’chsei Duvid Ovdechu lsoichu tuchin” that Yerishuliam has to be prepared for Duvid Hamalech, Duvid Hamalech cannot live in a Yerishuliam which is full of sins, therefore we ask Hashem to prepare the holy city for his king Duvid.
May we all be zoiche to see the coming of the Goel Tzadek Umen.
How do people know that this kid was treated with chemo? As far as I read, the family said that but Hadassah said that it wasn’t true. Does anyone know this for a fact? And if so, at what point was it? Could the vomiting be because of the drugs? could he be gaining weight now cuz the drugs are finally out of his system.
Please respond with the FACTS that you know.
From the doctor’s website “Based in Australia I completed my doctoral research in the social sciences (interdisciplinary: sociology, anthropology, psychology) on the subject of false accusations of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP).” [http://www.pnc.com.au/~heleneli/newsletter.htm]
(1) The doctor is a social scientist.
(2) The doctor is Australian.
(3) The doctor does not indicate she is a medical doctor.
(4) The webpage (http://www.pnc.com.au/~heleneli/newsletter.htm) is just a webpage, It is not an article in a peer reviewed medical (or even a social sciences) journal.
(5) A biography can be found at http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?id=282&nav_cat_id=174&nav_top_id=66
and there is no mention of her writings on MSBP in her “Key Publications”.
Rabbi Hoffman:
You can’t have it both ways.
Either she claims she is an unfortunate victim of a horrible personality disorder, and goes to a psychiatrist for medication management to control the symptoms, and allow social service involvement. She is grossly irresponsible and a danger to herself and others by refusing to get help. She refuses to back up the veracity of the claims that she deserves pity for an illness by going to a mutually agreed upon psychiatrist. Since she refuses to use the normal channels of doctors and social service, the police must protect the child.
Or, she maliciously starved her own child in a horrific display of Abuse 101. In this situation why wouldn’t the police be involved?
Plus, a restraining order made by the social worker is only as good as the police to back it up. Since it is clear that this mother has no intention of following court orders, the police had to get involved.
I don’t care what it’s called.
There are people who function only because of the neediness of others.
Due to low self-esteem, they have a hard time doing anything because of their own desires.
They have 2 choices:
They can seek out people who are needy and help them.
or
They can impose neediness on the people who are already in their lives.
Both are rooted in low self-esteem.
The second one CAN lead to problems similar to Munchausen’s disease by proxy.
The first one CAN lead to a deficiency of Minding Your Own Business.
There is a third option:
they can get to know themselves better (a therapist can help), and become proactive happy people who help people who are in need, and develop their own talents WITHOUT GUILT when they have down time.
This makes for more well rounded people who can have a stronger REAL bond with Hakadosh Boruch Hu, based on health instead of NEUROSIS.
I know because I have such a personality, and I opted for the third choice.
The process was difficult because I was raised with a lot of guilt.
I didn’t know how to relax!
Now, I actually think things through before I do them.
I learned to be more honest with myself about my motivation.
I learned to be happy even if nobody needs my help for anything.
I learned to smell the flowers in the beautiful world Hashem gave us.
I gave up the fantasy of being a hero, and settled for being a regular citizen!
I still care about others. I still want the world to be a better place. And I still get a thrill when things get better physically and spiritually.
But my approach is more mature.
I am no longer impulsive.
I am not neurotically driven.
I grew up.
“It also reflects the behavior of typical Charedi parents who often do not listen to the recommendations of doctors in circumstances where the doctors are not sure of the underlying issues. This information was not confirmed by another source other than the one in touch with us, but this author is absolutely convinced that the source is reporting the information accurately.”
As a physician involved in the care of charedi patients, I do hope that my friend and colleague Rabbi Hoffman is not accurate in his assessment of “typical Charedi parents”.
Sometimes mother’s instinct should play a role, and getting a 2nd or even a 3rd opinion on a serious matter is often done in the charedi community.
However, disregarding physician orders for nutrition for a child who reportedly weighed 15 lbs and was close to death seems to me to suggest at best a degree of ignorance or recklessness that borders on the criminal.
“SAYS WHO??? A new lamden?!? A new Rabbi??? Do you have smicha to pasken and do you know all the facts? Obviously you keep believing the doctors and the media and you have never discussed it with the Rabbanim involved nor with the family. Do you know in what harsh conditions the woman was found in the jail cell that it was a mitzvah to get her out of there no matter in what way?”
You are missing the point. One issue is which story to believe — the family story (the hospital committed malpractice and is fabriacting a story against the mother to cover it up) or that of the hospital (this is a psychologically disturbed woman who is a danger at least to that child.)
Regardless of which story you believe (I am personally dubious about both), the behavior of the rioters is an inexcusable act of Chillul Shem Shomayim.
What hetter is there to destroy property (much of it owned by private Jews who are yirei shomayim) just because you have a legitimate protest against a perceived injustice?
What hetter is there to carry on like a bunch of vilde chayos who remind one of the animals in a zoo?
If the people involved were genuinely interested in performing the mitzvah of pidyon shevuim, they would realize that their actions simply set back their own cause.
Since you are such a lamdan, try this one on for size: The gemara in Eruvin states:
Be makom Chillul Hashem ein cholkin kavod la rav.
Quite possibly this whole chemo thing is a figment of the mother’s imagination. No official source has ever mentioned that the child was on chemo. She probably wanted sympathy from her friends and family and went around telling everybody she could that she has a child with cancer. That is all part of the Munchasuen complex.
Again, nobody outside her family and friends has confirmed that the child was ever on chemo.
Rabbi Hoffman is incorrect when he claims that a diagnosis of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy is not a definitve category in the DSM IV. This is simply not true. Although Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy is not formally listed as a diagnosis in the DSM-IV, it *is* listed in the broader “factitious disorder” terminology.
Source:
The so-called expert is an anthropologist. Not a physician, not a psychologist. That hardly makes her an expert.
what does he mean it’s hard to diagnose? every other poster on VIN deems himself qualified to do so.
But surely the mother should not get the child back.
This article is a voice of reason, for it gives benefit of the doubt.
Let the hospital do what they have to, in order to protect the child, but we should not all sit here as judge, jury and prosecutor.
Let the dust settle, and the truth will emerge. In the meantime, lets give both the hospital and this poor woman the benefit of the doubt.
It should be known that Rabbi Hoffman does have Smicha and can paskin throughout shulchan aruch.
Some of the comments here reminds me of the comments after Katrina, the US Military is responsible for the FLOOD to New Orleans and the CIA created AIDS in their labs and experimented on the African Americans. Crazy stuff… this is real crazy stuff I am reading here. Level headed Charedim need to wake up and ask themselves how did we get here. Is this behavior acceptable?