ARW – Project France 
PDF Paul O’Donoghue, a clinical psychologist and founder member of the Irish Skeptics Society, wrote an article in the Irish Times on Feb. 9, 2012 about the censorship of the film “The Wall” in France. Irish Times is the leading daily newspaper in the Republic of Ireland.
Paul O’Donoghue analyzes the content of the movie, the issues in autism in France and the efforts for change in France.
He also opens his paper to the broader question of libel laws reforms in the UK and the shift from public and academic debate to courtrooms.
Excerpts:
“I have watched the documentary and so far as I can judge, the views of all of those interviewed are consistent with the psychoanalytic model that sees autism as being caused by a distorted relationship between the affected child and the mother.
[...]
Ideologies can give rise to dire consequences and this is evident in the experiences of many French children with autism. In contrast to most other Western countries, it is claimed that up to 80 per cent of them do not attend school. In 2004 the Council of Europe condemned France for failing to provide appropriate education for children with autism.
A common treatment in use in France is termed “packing”, in which a child is wrapped in a wet sheet or blanket that has been refrigerated for about an hour. Only the head is left free and while in this position the child is engaged in psychoanalytic therapy. There is no objective evidence that psychoanalytic therapy has any positive impact on autism and packing is generally regarded as inhumane with potentially serious negative effects.
While the plaintiffs in the case were personally upset, it is clear from the film that some psychoanalysts are opposed to current scientific thinking on this matter.
[...]
In taking this case to court, the plaintiffs have unwittingly precipitated a huge public outcry in France and have drawn media interest from many countries. This may facilitate the many groups in France who are agitating for change. Attention has certainly been drawn to the documentary, which incisively exposes the nonsense of psychoanalysis in this arena (and arguably a lot more widely) in the words of the practitioners themselves.
The above legal action brings to mind a broader issue. In general, scientific differences are best addressed in public and academic debate rather than in the courtroom. This has become a significant issue with scientists, journalists and bloggers being threatened with court action or being sued for libel in a clear attempt to silence reasonable criticism.”
Read “French film ban raises autism issue” in the Irish Times
