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For many years, false memory syndrome have captured the interest and attention of many experts. These include Dr. Elizabeth Loftus, an American psychologist who spent several years studying how false memories work. One of the limitations of human memory is that it can be altered and changed. Therefore, using eye-witness testimony in criminal and court cases can create negative implication on the lives of the victims and the suspects when false memory is involved.
First of all, the limitations of human memory can negatively impact the victims when used in eye-witness testimony. For instance, in 1984, Jennifer Thompson was assaulted and raped in her own home (Celizic, 2009). She escaped, survived, and later identified a suspect named Ronald Cotton, the man who spent many years in prison for the crime (Celizic, 2009). Jennifer Thompson felt at peace for 11 years knowing that the man who raped her was rotting in prison until she found out that she was wrong (Celizic, 2009). When DNA results revealed that Cotton was innocent and Thompson’s memory was wrong, she felt devastated. Guilt and shame ruled over her. This is an example of how a victim can suffer from the use of false memory.
At the same time, the suspects may also become victims due to the limitation of human memory when used as basis for eye-witness account. In the case of Cotton, he served 11 years in prison for a crime he never committed. This means that 11 years of his young life was taken when she was jailed during his early 20’s. Fortunately for him, he thought of requesting for a DNA test in a sample that was taken from the crime scens, and this helped prove his innocence. However, there are probably those who do not have the same good fate as Cotton. It is possible that due to false memory, many innocent individuals continue to be punished for other people’s crime.
Overall, human memory does not always tell the truth. According to Jim Underdown, the executive director of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims for the Paranormal, memories can be altered and false memories can actually be introduced to human minds (Abramsky, 2004). Therefore, using eye-witness testimony in criminal and civil court cases is not always a reliable strategy unless backed up by concrete evidence. If false memory takes part in the process, the lives of both the victims and the suspects will be negatively impacted.
References
Abramsky, S. (2004). Memory and manipulation. LA Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.laweekly.com/news/memory-and-manipulation-2138692
Celizic, M. (2009). She sent him to jail for rape; now they’re friends. Today News. Retrieved from http://www.today.com/id/29613178/ns/today-today_news/t/she-sent-him-jail-rape-now-theyre-friends/#.VznHAJF97IU
