Littwin: Explanation doesn't make tape more palatable

By Mike Littwin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 18, 2001 at midnight

Text size

More News Columns & Blogs

GOLDEN -- Once again, as the tape -- and Candace Newmaker's life -- came to an end, the courtroom, even on second viewing of the video, was awash in tears.

We had watched as Julie Ponder, the so-called rebirther, unwrapped Candace from her womb/coffin. We had watched as the mom shouted, "She's dead. She's dead." We had watched as Ponder vainly pumped Candace's chest, begging her to live.

In the video, Connell Watkins, the lead "therapist," looked on in dismay. In the courtroom, as her lawyer led her through the tape, through Candace's pleas for help, through the therapeutic "OK, then die" responses, Connell Watkins looked on dry-eyed, even defiant.

She had done nothing wrong, she insisted, as if that possibility (a jury will decide) made everything all right. If she was shaken, it was that anyone would accuse her. In four hours of furious cross-examination, prosecutor Steve Jensen made clear to Watkins that's exactly what he was doing.

I had come to see Watkins, to stare into the eyes, dry or otherwise, of the person accused, with Ponder, of child abuse ending in death. I wanted to see if I could learn anything from her testimony, now heading into a third day.

What I learned was that this story does not begin or end with Watkins. Let's be thankful that Watkins videotaped everything, as a lesson for us all.

We can learn from Jack McDaniel, a minor player in this affair. He assisted in the so-called rebirthing and also in the holding sessions, which are nearly as bizarre.

When he wasn't helping to restrain Candace, McDaniel was also responsible for taking notes from the sessions.

His qualifications: He's an unemployed construction worker.

Much is being made of the fact that Watkins apparently had allowed her registration as an unlicensed therapist to lapse when she was "treating" Candace.

Much more should be made of the fact that she could treat children without any kind of license.

Her qualifications: She has a master's in social work. At least she's not a welder.

Watkins is the first to admit that her methods in treating children with attachment problems are controversial. In the case of children like Candace, she sometimes performs what she calls "intensives" that last two weeks. To the untrained eye -- say, mine -- they look like something out of a Chinese reprogramming regimen.

To many trained psychiatrists and psychologists, the methods don't look much better. Watkins' mentor, Dr. Foster Cline, once likened it to breaking a horse.

In the video of one holding session -- in which Watkins held Candace in her lap while also grabbing her face and screaming at her -- the object was to get Candace to say "the jig is up," an expression that Candace's mom used occasionally.

It seemed Candace couldn't remember it. And once prompted, it seemed the 10-year-old had no idea what the expression meant.

And yet, Watkins went after her repeatedly, yelling at her for lying and for not trying. Maybe I don't understand therapy. I know I cringed each time Watkins screamed at the little girl. Is that normal?

As Watkins testified Tuesday, Gov. Bill Owens signed Candace's Law, outlawing rebirthing in Colorado. The jig, it seems, is up.

But it was only rebirthing that was covered. That can't be enough. Nobody should be able to practice therapy on children without real licensing and without real oversight. We cried for Candace and the lunacy disguised as therapy accused of killing her. If we don't do more, we haven't done her justice.

Mike Littwin's column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Call him at (303) 892-5428 or e-mail him at littwinm@rockymountainnews.com.

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News