(Some Spoilers) Undoubtedly based on the notorious McMartain Preschool Satanic, or Witch, Trial "Forgotten Sins" shows how lives and careers can be destroyed by getting caught up with a mob mentality. A mindset fueled by a vicious rumor that leads average and thoughtful persons to accuse and persecute innocent people of crimes that are straight out of movies like "The Exorcist" and "The Omen".
In "Forgotten Sins" two young girls, Beckie & Laura, accuse their innocent father Sheriff Matthew Bradshaw of sexually molesting them for a number of years. The two girls go so far as accusing Matthews' two friends fellow cop Wayne and local Clarkwell mechanic Steve of joining in with their father in taking turns raping them! As ridicules as these accusations are Matthew as well as Wayne & Steve end up being charged a with a slew of sexual abuse crimes where they end up in the local jail facing as much as 20 years in the state pen if convicted.
Matthew who's a very religious and God fearing man is manipulated by both the police and his Reverend Ralph Norton into confessing his "sins" or crimes; sexually abusing his two daughters for some 10 years! Even though he for the life of him Matthew can't remember committing those crimes! Matthews strange actions put his fellow "child molesters" Wayne and Steve in a position where, even that they know that their innocent, their defending themselves of those charges are in very great jeopardy. How can they defend themselves when the person accusing them, Matthew Bradshaw, confessed to the crimes that their, together with himself, accused of!
With psychiatrist Dr. Richard Ofshe sent, by the state D.A's office, to examine the two girls he soon realizes that they made the whole thing, the story of being molested by their father and his two friends, up. It turns out that Beckie and Laura resented their dads strict policy in what, among other things, kind of music they can listen to at home. That disciplinary action on Matthews' part made Beckie & Laura dream up this vicious accusation against him. It later turns out that the two girls with their mother, and Matthew's wife, Roberta Bradshaw actually began to believe what they were saying about their by now totally repentant, for what in fact he didn't do, dad!
Dr. Ofshe realizes that the girls are lying in his manipulating their father, like he was manipulated by the police and Reverend Ralph, in admitting to a crime that he didn't commit; a rape of his two daughters some time back at the local lake. This showed Dr. Ofshe that not only was Matthews innocent of the crimes charged against him but was mentally unfit to stand trail! The guy has been made so guilt ridden that he'll admit to anything as long as those in authority, like his bosses in the police department and Reverend Paul, tell him too! Even the Kennedy, either one, assassinations!
Even though both Wayne and Steve were eventually exonerated of their crimes poor Matthew wasn't in the fact that he admitted to them under oath in open court! It's not long after his confession that Matthew finally came to his senses and recanted but it was too late with him getting slapped with a 20 year sentence by the judge trying his case. A sad ending to a truly outrageous but true story that shows how people even now can be whipped into a frenzy, like in Salem Mass. back in 1692-93, by nothing more then some silly and vindicate persons accusations.
P.S The story that the film "Forgotten Sins" was based on the McMartain Preschool child sex abuse case lasted some 28 months costing the state of California 15 million dollars. The trial ended with almost 40 persons, not three like in the movie, who worked at the preschool being convicted and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 18 months to 25 years. After almost ten years of appeals and with a number of the "abused" children, now adults, admitting that they made up the stories all the convictions have been overturned. The really sad part of all that is that a number of those unjustly accused never lived, with their lives and reputations already destroyed, to see or taste freedom again dying either behind bars or before, after being released, they were eventually exonerated of their crimes.
In "Forgotten Sins" two young girls, Beckie & Laura, accuse their innocent father Sheriff Matthew Bradshaw of sexually molesting them for a number of years. The two girls go so far as accusing Matthews' two friends fellow cop Wayne and local Clarkwell mechanic Steve of joining in with their father in taking turns raping them! As ridicules as these accusations are Matthew as well as Wayne & Steve end up being charged a with a slew of sexual abuse crimes where they end up in the local jail facing as much as 20 years in the state pen if convicted.
Matthew who's a very religious and God fearing man is manipulated by both the police and his Reverend Ralph Norton into confessing his "sins" or crimes; sexually abusing his two daughters for some 10 years! Even though he for the life of him Matthew can't remember committing those crimes! Matthews strange actions put his fellow "child molesters" Wayne and Steve in a position where, even that they know that their innocent, their defending themselves of those charges are in very great jeopardy. How can they defend themselves when the person accusing them, Matthew Bradshaw, confessed to the crimes that their, together with himself, accused of!
With psychiatrist Dr. Richard Ofshe sent, by the state D.A's office, to examine the two girls he soon realizes that they made the whole thing, the story of being molested by their father and his two friends, up. It turns out that Beckie and Laura resented their dads strict policy in what, among other things, kind of music they can listen to at home. That disciplinary action on Matthews' part made Beckie & Laura dream up this vicious accusation against him. It later turns out that the two girls with their mother, and Matthew's wife, Roberta Bradshaw actually began to believe what they were saying about their by now totally repentant, for what in fact he didn't do, dad!
Dr. Ofshe realizes that the girls are lying in his manipulating their father, like he was manipulated by the police and Reverend Ralph, in admitting to a crime that he didn't commit; a rape of his two daughters some time back at the local lake. This showed Dr. Ofshe that not only was Matthews innocent of the crimes charged against him but was mentally unfit to stand trail! The guy has been made so guilt ridden that he'll admit to anything as long as those in authority, like his bosses in the police department and Reverend Paul, tell him too! Even the Kennedy, either one, assassinations!
Even though both Wayne and Steve were eventually exonerated of their crimes poor Matthew wasn't in the fact that he admitted to them under oath in open court! It's not long after his confession that Matthew finally came to his senses and recanted but it was too late with him getting slapped with a 20 year sentence by the judge trying his case. A sad ending to a truly outrageous but true story that shows how people even now can be whipped into a frenzy, like in Salem Mass. back in 1692-93, by nothing more then some silly and vindicate persons accusations.
P.S The story that the film "Forgotten Sins" was based on the McMartain Preschool child sex abuse case lasted some 28 months costing the state of California 15 million dollars. The trial ended with almost 40 persons, not three like in the movie, who worked at the preschool being convicted and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 18 months to 25 years. After almost ten years of appeals and with a number of the "abused" children, now adults, admitting that they made up the stories all the convictions have been overturned. The really sad part of all that is that a number of those unjustly accused never lived, with their lives and reputations already destroyed, to see or taste freedom again dying either behind bars or before, after being released, they were eventually exonerated of their crimes.
