Fr. Shanley of Boston is challenging repressed memories in the Mass. Supreme Court.

Shanley is challenging his conviction based on an ongoing debate in the psychiatric community over the validity and reliability of repressed memories. The highest court in Massachusetts will hear Shanley’s appeal Thursday.

This is a very big deal, gets to the heart of many a case against the allegedly abuser priest.

Nearly 100 scientists, psychiatrists and researchers have signed a friend-of-the court brief denouncing the theory of repressed-recovered memories. Another group has submitted a brief supporting the theory.

His lawyer says he was convicted on

“junk science” testimony about repressed memories by prosecution witnesses.

It worked this way, he said:

“They needed repressed memories to normalize for the jury what was otherwise an extraordinary assertion — that he could be completely oblivious that this ever happened and then remember it 20 years later.”

Huge money settlements have been made to Shanley’s victims.  His case led to the departure of Cardinal Bernard Law from Boston.