Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story Page #2

that classic story of the

embittered wife who brain washes

her children into making

ugly, baseless accusations

against their father.

Two years ago, Darlene and Darryl Holland

went through an acrimonious divorce

from which Darlene still harbours

a great deal of anger and resentment.

This entire case is nothing

but a vendetta.

It's a smear campaign against a loving,

caring father by his vindictive ex-wife.

And you had no idea that your husband

was sexually abusing your daughter?

No, it never crossed my mind.

Who would ever dream a grown man

would do something like that to a baby.

What changed your mind?

My boyfriend Artie.

He thought something was going on.

He wasn't the first to mention,

there was a boy friend before

who also thought something was wrong.

I got this book on incest, I read it,

I got really scared.

No further questions.

You mentioned another boyfriend,

Mrs. Holland, isn't it true that

you've lived with a series of

boy friends since your divorce?

Objection.

I merely try to establish the kind of

environment the child has been living in.

I allow the question.

I lived with two other men

before Artie.

Isn't it true that you once had sex

in a graveyard?

Objection.

And isn't it true that you stripped naked

and did a belly dance at your own wedding?

Objection, your Honour,

this is totally irrelevant.

Your Honour, the character

of the mother is key...

The character of the mother

is not on trial.

to understand where the child

obtained her sexual information.

I'll tell you where she got it,

from that pervert over there.

Objection.

Please. This is not a circus.

He's withdrawn, subject to temper

tantrums, nightmares and

preoccupation with sex.

The symptoms are of great concern,

they are completely inappropriate

for a child of this age.

Is someone typing?

Is something wrong, Counselor?

Your Honour, I hear typing sounds.

May we continue?

Yes, excuse me.

When you put

all these symptoms together

with the sexual acts Christie demonstrated

on the anatomically correct dolls

we get the profile of a child who's

been systematically sexually abused

Oh God, Shari, I'm bleeding.

Something is really wrong

with you. What is it?

Please, say something.

I'm sorry.

That's it?

Great.

For months you stay up all night,

and when I want to discuss something

important, you want to go to sleep?

I'm fine, everything

is under control.

Shari, I'm really worried about you.

I'm very tired. Please. Can we talk

about this after the trial?

OK.

You're OK?

Thank you Mr. Holland

that was very illuminating.

And what kind of work

do you do Mr. Holland?

Well, I was in electronics.

Does it mean you are currently

unemployed?

Yes, Ma'm, I suppose it does, but as

far as I know it's not a crime, is it?

You share joined physical and legal

custody of Christie, do you not?

Yes, Ma'm. I do.

And how often do you see

your daughter?

Every week-end.

Would you please tell the court how you

spend your time with her on those week-ends?

Let me see.

We go to the park.

Out to eat.

At church.

Every Sunday morning.

Where does she sleep

when she stays with you?

She has her own little bed

in the TV room.

Does she ever sleep

in your bed Mr. Holland?

Once in a while.

If there's been a thunderstorm or

she's had a bad dream, then she likes

to crawl in with her daddy.

Counselor, we're waiting.

And when she

crawls in with her daddy,

do you ever happen to touch her?

Of course. I hug her, I kiss her,

I hold her, I love her.

Did you ever touch her genitals?

Objection.

Overruled.

Answer the question, Mr. Holland.

What do you mean by touch?

Touch, touch, you know, feel with

your fingers, feel with anything else.

Touch.

Your Honour, she's harassing...

Excuse-me, but does anyone here

have a Webster's

dictionary so that this man can

look up what the word touch means.

Counselor, control yourself, I will not

tolerate this behaviour in my courtroom.

Did you ever touch, t-o-u-c-h

your daughter's genitals?

- In a way, but it's not what you think.

- Yes or no?

Yes.

And how many times

did you touch her genitals

Twenty times, two hundred times,

two thousand times?

I don't know, maybe twenty times.

Your Honour...

And would you please tell the court

for what possible reason you did that?

Get back Counselor! Step away

from the witness.

This is unacceptable.

Answer the question, please.

Cause she has all

these rashes and things.

Why did you touched

your daughter genitals?

To medicate her.

Medicate her?

Son of a b*tch. Let me go.

That's it. Counselor, no one does that

in my court room, you're out of here.

Let me go.

How much is bail?

There is no bail for you,

you're on a two day hold.

What happened to you?

Let's go.

OK, you've got five minutes.

Shari, are you alright?

Rose, I'm sorry, I blew the case.

I'll never forgive myself.

You didn't blow anything,

We got a continuance.

I'll find you another attorney, don't

worry, everything will be straightened out.

We don't need another attorney,

when you left, Darlene stood up and told

the judge she wanted to wait for you.

What?

We thought you were great.

I don't know what transpired in there,

Miss Karney.

But that was the most shocking display

of unprofessionalism I've ever witnessed

on my 22 years on the bench.

Now, you have three choices.

One, you can go back to jail.

Two, I can start proceedings

to have you disbarred.

Or three,

I put you on probation

and you seek psychological help.

Since your client still wishes to

retain you, God only knows why,

if you can finish this case

with some modicum of decorum

then I will seal your record and

strike your contempt conviction.

I'll get help, your Honour.

So what do you think

these typing sounds mean?

I've no idea.

Take a guess.

Believe me I've tried, I wish I knew.

Tell me about these

anxiety attacks during sex,

what exactly do you feel?

I feel...

trapped.

Trapped, how?

Like I want to get away and I can't.

I feel totally helpless.

It's pretty terrifying.

Do you have any idea of what

you want to get away from?

Something disgusting.

Something...

sleazy and slimy and horrible.

What's your family like?

We're very close.

What's your father do?

He is a West Coast editor

of a trade magazine.

He worked at home, so my mother went back

to school, and she became social worker.

We always lived in nice houses,

we drove nice cars

We celebrated holidays together.

That sounds like a wonderful life.

It was.

But?

You know, I didn't always get along

with my mother.

What do you mean?

Well, she was pretty strict.

How so?

She had this philosophy,

about raising children,

you didn't spoil them, you had

to teach them responsibility

and if they misbehaved,

they had to be disciplined.

Give me an example.

Well, we had chores

that we had to do and

if we didn't do it the way

she likes she punishes us.

Physically?

Yes, sometimes.

What would she do?

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