CHAPTER THREE

Peter Gerard Scully (January 13, 1963 - ), an Australian has been on trial since September 2016, in the Philippines. He is, charged with seventy-five heinous crimes, pleading not guilty to all of them. The alleged crimes include child rape and molestation, the murder of a twelve year-year old Filipina girl who is, believed to have been, held as a sex and torture slave for an undisclosed number of months. She was, then allegedly strangled to death and buried in a shallow grave. Scully is also charged with the torture and abuse of at least eight girls; the youngest of which was an eighteen-month old toddler; she was allegedly, raped.

Scully was no stranger to crime. He fled Australia to the Philippines after being, accused of a plethora of fraud charges. In addition to the horrific nature of the charges there are aggravating circumstances, including the alleged running of an international pedophile ring and providing pay-per-view video streams of children being sexually tortured on the Dark Web (a segment of the internet that requires special software to access; ‘Red Room’ is the name given to where heinous acts are performed). Some viewers will pay thousands of U.S. dollars or more to view child porn, rape, torture, and other acts of savagery. The problem is that anonymity is the general rule. Unlike the regular internet, the Dark Web is considerably more difficult, and oftentimes impossible to track a viewer’s IP address.

Scully’s first alleged accomplice is, a 30 year-old woman, named Maria Dorothea Chia Chi, she was, arrested in February 2017, by Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO). There were four warrants out for her arrest, qualified trafficking and child pornography. She allegedly recruited children to be, used in the Cybersex activities. The National Bureau of Investigations (Philippines) believes that the two defendants established Cybersex operations in southern Philippines. Children were, coaxed into having sex with Scully. The footage was then, sold on the Dark Web. Scully’s girlfriend and second alleged accomplice, twenty-three year old Liezyl Margolo, was arrested in January 2017, after it was revealed that she continued Scully’s illegal enterprise, wandering around in search of more victims.

"If I were describe, her (Margallo) I would call her a savage girl for what she has done to the kids. I think that description fits her," said a lead investigator Dominador Cimafranca told reporters. (By Linsay Murdoch, January 29, 2017; smh.com.au: Alleged child sex predator Peter Scully dealt legal blow as police apprehend key witness)

President Rodrigo Duterte (also known as Digong; Marcy 28, 1945, 16th President of the Philippines), along with prosecutors has called for a re-instatement of the death penalty, by hanging, for individuals who commit heinous crimes ... If I had my choice it would be death for Scully - I want it to happen ... We have to send a strong message to others that if they come to the Philippines and torture and abuse our children ... they will be investigated with the full force of law,” said Jaime Umpa, the chief prosecutor. (Quoted by Fairfax Media via By Oliver Holmes in Bangkok, September 21, 2016; theguardian.com: Philippine Prosecutors Want Death Penalty Restored for Australian Peter Scully)

The most gruesome film that Scully and his two female accomplices filmed is ‘Daisy’s Destruction’. This movie became a feared urban legend come true. The video was extensively on forums and on Reddit (an American social news website and forum where content is socially, viewed organized, and promoted by site members through, voting). The film featured the cruel abuse and rape of a young girl. It was, allegedly streamed on Hurtcore (a slight variation of the term `hardcore’; it involves pedophile sites and/or real rape porn).

Scully is, alleged to have directed ‘Daisy’s Destruction’, involving the torture of a baby girl by a masked and nude woman. The baby girl was allegedly, tied upside down by her feet sexually violated, and physically abused. In addition, she was allegedly whipped and physically abused with sex toys by Scully’s girlfriend. Ironically, Scully and his girlfriend met while she was a child prostitute. It is no wonder that Philippines Police asserted that this was the worst child porn movie they had ever seen. One bit of good news is that rumours of Daisy’s murder were false she survived the ordeal.

Ancient peoples recognized that certain individuals suffered from mental disorders. The treatment of people with mental disorders consisted of the use of herbs, reciting or chanting magical spells, application of fluids onto the ill persons, the use of hallucinogenic drugs, acupuncture (China), induced near-death experiences, or a plethora of torture methods that would purge the problem or punish the victim. The devil or evil spirits, bewitched, punishment by God/s, or poisons possessed the latter.

Later terms used for these ailments included melancholy, hysteria, depressive states, mania, neurosis, and anxiety. The ancients did not really understand or know what part of the body mental illness emanated from. During the Middle Ages the Christian Church used exorcisms (and still does but considerably less often), holy places, saints, special prayers, and reading from the Bible to treat mental illness. Priests would command the demon to expel itself from the affected person and to metamorphose itself into an animal or an inanimate object. Unfortunately, many people were tortured to extract confessions and to repent for past sins. Numerous cases of people inflicted with hallucinations during the Middle Ages emanated from ergot poisoning was, contracted from a fungus on the grains of rye grass. Hallucinations can also be, caused by prolonged sleep deprivation or prolonged, pronounced insufficient sleep, excessive stress, and medical illnesses.

In the not so distant past in Europe and in Colonial America, witchcraft was a powerful weapon that was used to accuse, demonize, put on trial, torture, incarcerate and kill tens of thousands of people (some estimates are much higher, and in my opinion rightly so). Up to ninety percent of the people convicted and punished for witchcraft were females. Elderly women, especially those living alone were a common target, GOD forbid she had a, witches’ pimple on her nose. Some witch-hunts were solely against women across Europe, accusations of witchcraft became commonplace. In most of the cases, no evidence was, needed for accusing, trying, convicting and punishing the accused. The occupation of ‘Witch-finder’ also called ‘Witch- hunter’ became commonplace, these individuals were feared and dreaded by many people. The most famous witch trials in America were the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, where fourteen women and six men were, sentenced to death.

Dr. Benjamin Rush (January 4, 1746 - December 24, 1813 - ; One of the founding Fathers of the United States, physician, and very likely the 'Father of American Psychiatry', was of the opinion that mental illness was a disease of the mind rather than 'possession by demons')

Manuals and books were written about how to ‘sniff out’ witches and to kill them. One such book was the Malleus Maleficarum. Judges, ministers, constables, jailers, doctors, jurors and torturers were almost, always men, with a very few exceptions. Witnesses though, could be male or female, from any age cohort. Witchcraft was, believed to be the primary domain of possessed women. The accused women were, believed to lust for the Devil; sexual servants of Satan, others were accused of kissing the Devil’s behind. In a broader sense though, women were seen as the controllers of men; controlling them with their beauty and cunningness. Many people, mostly women were tortured into confessing that they were witches. Religiously, Eve was, unjustly blamed for being the source of driving ‘man’ out of Eden. Women accused of witchcraft were believed to have been seduced by Satan himself, through his evil devils. Women’s so- called excessive lust was a factor in this belief.

OTHER PREPOSTEROUS BELIEFS ABOUT WITCHES INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING:

• Weaken men’s natural defences.
• Harm or kill them.
• Induce impotence in males.
• Destroy properties and food supplies.
• Cause natural catastrophes.
• Curse others.
• The Halloween flying witch myth does have some basis in old time belief.
• During the witch-hunt craze, many people believed that witches could and did fly.
• Herbs, spices and special ointments aided them to do their evil work.
• Witches’ children were often deemed possessed too, and as such could be severely, punished.

Greek physicians believed that mental illnesses were commonly, caused by physical ailments such as a shortcoming of the humours. Hippocrates (460 - 370 BC) is the most renowned physician of Ancient Greece, and is celebrated as being one of the leading physicians in the history of medicine. He helped to initiate medicine as a formal science. Although some of his beliefs have been, discounted, we must remember that Hippocrates had no access to modern technology and the knowledge of the day regarding medicine was miniscule at best. The belief in Ancient Greece was that the human body contained four basic substances, referred to as humours (black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, blood). Disease was likely the malfunction of one or more of the humours environmental factors, dietary alterations, or other influences. Hippocrates was way ahead of his time. He concluded that the brain was the means of thought, judgement-intellect, and emotion. As a result, he and many other physicians decided that mental ailments-disorders emanated from complications of the brain. Broadly speaking, the ancients studied and 'treated' mental illness from the supernatural or the physically related avenues.

Only a few centuries ago in Europe, many people believed that the mental ill were unfeeling wild animals, and in Ancient Egypt, circa 6,000-5000 BC, mental and physical illnesses were, considered synonymous. During this period, many civilizations throughout the world believed that the heart was the location of the mind, healing for, mental ailments was usually administered by priests who worked in temples; guidance and input was acquired from the deities, magicians and physicians were also used. Later, circa 1,500 BC, Ancient Egyptians described the basic physiology of the brain and spinal cord including the meninges (the three membranes covering the brain and spinal cord), cerebrospinal fluid (a colourless bodily fluid located in the brain and spinal cord), and convolutions, of the brain (curvatures whose purpose is to increase the surface area of the brain).

Even in the modern era, many aspects of mental illness remain a mystery cloaked in a mystery box. Many treatments for mental disorders are highly contentious, oftentimes very dangerous. Many of the drugs that are, prescribed to patients have unusual side effects that in a quite ironic sense bring about additional mental-based problems and behaviours. Psychiatry is sometimes a hit or miss treatment method, go to ten psychiatrists with the exact same problem and description you will likely receive varying diagnoses.

Chronicles and stories from the 19th and into the 20th Century regarding the typical treatment of mental patients are horrifying to say the least. Worse yet, many mental asylums or insane asylums (as they were called then) administrators and staff denied any wrongdoing. The truth is that many patients were, treated like un-thinking, emotionless beings that got what they deserved. Other staff workers just did their job, not caring one way or another. Many patients were tortured for prolonged periods of time, some even died; there was no justice for the victimized.

Insane asylums and the treatment of mental illness have, often been quite cruel brutal. Wooden Cages: In 1874, a Lehighton, Pennsylvania Newspaper (1872 - 1924) reported that the insane poverty-stricken were badly mistreated in hostels, and during this period, many mental asylums had no sanitary measures (restrooms); many people believed to be insane were kept in wooden cages, oftentimes for extended periods. One particular patient, described as an agricultural labourer dressed in rags. He did not suffer from violent fits, but nevertheless he was, incarcerated in a wooden cage for one and a half years, straw strewn on the floor; it was likely his bed. Some of the other inmates wore minimal clothing or were naked. Having spent so long in tiny cages many patients were unable to move. A twenty year-old woman had been incarcerated in a wooden cage for six years, wore minimum raggedy clothing, so weak and frail she could not stand up, move her limbs, or walk.

Sadly, being, locked up in a cage is not something of a bygone era. “Disabled people in Greece are often stigmatised and can struggle to get the support they need. Some disabled children who live in a state-run home are locked up in cages – staff, says they want to improve conditions but money is short.” (By Chloe Hadjimatheou, BBC World Service; November 14, 2014; bbc.com: The disabled children locked up in cages)

Hydrotherapy (cold, warm, or hot water): In 1903, the Omaha Daily Bee (1871 - 1922) reported a story that was widely prevalent in mental asylums. Patients at the Lakeland Insane Asylum in Kentucky were being tortured, and severely punished by the attendants. Although some of the patients spoke out about the abuse, others were too fearful of retaliatory punishment by the attendants. Even those who did open up admitted that they were too fearful of divulging all of the on-goings within the institution. Patients were strangled, beaten with socks containing potatoes and were physically restrained then forced to take very cold showers as punishment.

In other asylums warm or hot water, baths were, used on hyperactive patients. Lethargic patients were, sprayed or doused with cold water. Covering the entire body in towels soaked in ice-cold water was another treatment method. Very unlucky patients were, forced to remain in a bath for hours or even, days, on end.

Chair and seclusion was commonly, used until the turn of the 20th Century to subdue and/or treat mental patients; the procedure could last for many hours or longer. This particular punishment was, used on many women who were suffering from excessive nervousness (anxiety), stress, and postnatal depression. Not surprisingly, women could be involuntarily committed to an asylum for infidelity the same did not apply to men. (Source: Bethlam Royal Hospital Archives via By Wendy Wallace, May 16, 2012; dailymail.co.uk: Sent to the asylum: The Victorian women locked up because they were suffering from stress, postnatal depression and anxiety):

• Emma Riches, diagnosis: Insanity caused by childbirth.
• Eliza Josolyne, Diagnosis: Insanity caused by overwork.
• Sarah Gardner, Diagnosis: Insanity caused by anxiety.
• Elizabeth Thew, Diagnosis: Epilepsy

Dr. Rush designed two kinds of restraining chairs to help treat the insane. During this period, many practitioners believed that insanity was, caused by an inflammation of the brain. The chair’s purpose was to control the flow of blood to the brain by significantly reducing muscle movement or motor activity. Dr. Rush did not believe that his restraining chairs were to be used to punish patients.

Simulated drowning was, used in some asylums as a form of a ‘water cure’ for the insane and was also, used to discipline unruly patients; in reality it was akin to water torture or water boarding. In 1903, under the direct supervision of Miss Houston, the matron head of staff attendants at the Topeka State Hospital (at the time known, as the Topeka Asylum for the Insane (1872 to 1997), performed the water cure on a woman deemed insane. Shockingly, Miss Houston had ordered simulated drowning repeatedly. No wonder a council was, established to investigate allegations of torture brought against her.

According to a resident attendant at the asylum, “When a patient refused to obey the orders given by Miss Houston [head of staff], the attendants were ordered to throw a sheet over her {the patient} head and draw her to the floor. While the attendants held the patient, Miss Houston poured water out of a pan into her face. The water was poured fast, and the pouring continued until the patient agreed to obey orders.” (By Elizabeth Yetter, May 25, 2016; listverse.com: 10 Brutal Accounts of Torture in Old Insane Asylums)

Although starvation was sometimes, used in some asylums as a form of treatment, it was and is usually a result of neglect and lack of funds. According to a January, 2017 government investigation, in 2016, at least ninety four mentally ill South African patients died after authorities quickly transferred them from Life Esidimeni hospital in the northern Gauteng province to twenty-seven defectively prepared, unlicensed health facilities that were referred to as ‘concentration camps’. Pneumonia, dehydration and diarrhoea, were the predominant causes of the deaths. Only one of the patients is, believed to have died from a mental-health related illness. The action was, done to cut costs.

A number of patients were, placed in pick-up trucks. The selection task for the patients was, described as akin to an ‘auction cattle market’. Qedani Mahlangu (May 12, 1968 - February 1, 2017; Gauteng MEC for Health and Social Development), resigned over the report’s findings, which strongly insinuated that she was involved in the affair; she passed away shortly afterward. Because of the tragedy, Gauteng's provincial health department has ended its long-established contract with the Life Esidimeni hospital. An individual from the provincial health ministry believes that charges should be, filed against all implicated parties.

Even in the modern era, starvation-to-death of the mentally ill and medically incompetent staff, still poses a problem. In a civilized society, it can take a circuitous, sanitary form. The Oregon Senate is taking into consideration a bill that would permit Alzheimer’s, dementia, mentally ill (and perhaps others in a similar predicament) patients to be starved and dehydrated irrespective of their desire. In Oregon, competent adults are allowed to stop eating and drinking on their own accord. However, if passed, Senate Bill 494 will extend this right to incompetent adults suffering from dementia or mental illness who have not specified that they want to starve to death (terrifying, indeed). This bill will also target patients who have the ability to eat and drink and are not in a near death stage.

"In all my years at working at Oregon Right to Life, I have never seen such a devious bill ... It has been cleverly and craftily written so as to hide its true intent. The lay person cannot really understand the bill without a lawyer to help explain it ... The bill takes away all of the safeguards currently in Oregon statute that protect Alzheimer's, dementia and mentally ill patients who are conscious and able to eat and drink and who are not at the end-of-life stage, from being starved and dehydrated to death,” said Gayle Atteberry, Executive Director of Oregon Right to Life. (By Claire Chretien, February 6, 2017; lifesitenews.com: Oregon bill would let doctors starve, dehydrate mentally ill patients)

Senate Bill 494 arose following the case of Alzheimer’s patient Nora Harris. She had filled out a medical directive (a declaration or affirmation of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned), asserting that she did not want to be fed intravenously. As her illness worsened, she required spoon- feeding. Nevertheless, at this stage she said that she wanted to continue eating. She was able to use her hands, not utensils. Shockingly, her husband filed a lawsuit against the Fern Gardens Senior Living Community (currently provides housing for eighty- four residents in a secure residential setting), to cease feeding her.

Fern Gardens stated that it would not force Nora to eat, but wished to continue providing her the option of basic food and water, thankfully, Mr. Harris lost the lawsuit, nevertheless, the Harris family asserts that their mother would want to be starved and dehydrated (really?) instead of living in her present state. Oregon's end-of-life care laws are very liberal by American state standards. It was first in legalizing assisted suicide in 1997. The number of lethal prescriptions physicians have issued terminally ill patients has risen quite rapidly.

The Insulin Coma-Therapy craze began in the late 1920s following the accidental insulin overdose of a diabetic patient given by Manfred Sakel (June 6, 1900 - December 2, 1957; Austrian later American physician and psychiatrist). The patient fell into a coma. Upon awakening, the morphine-addicted woman asserted that her cravings had disappeared. Without scientific proof or justification, Dr. Sakel repeated the action on other patients, who upon awakening claimed to be 'cured'. Insulin-coma therapy was, used for a while but was eventually, terminated due to its potentially dangerous risks. A small percentage of patients treated by this method died. Note that a 'milder' version of Insulin Coma-Therapy is Insulin Sub-Coma Therapy (hypoglycaemic shock), some patients, received the latter.

Insulin-coma therapy can induce excessive unnatural sweating, unusually ravenous hunger-appetite which can last for hours because the large quantity of insulin drastically lowers blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). Patients who endured weeks of this treatment found themselves gaining weight at an unusual rate. At least some of the patients were not, told about their falling into a coma, others were not forewarned. A faster termination of the ravenous hunger was, achieved by consuming very high sweetened-sugared drinks, which would cause the patient's sugar level to abruptly, skyrocket (another unnatural danger). Potential reactions to Insulin Sub-Coma Therapy include weeping, uncontrollable emotional outbursts, twitching, hand tremors, heavy mouth and tongue, abnormal grimacing and other movements of the facial muscles, dilation of pupils, paleness in the face, moistening of the skin, slowed reaction time.

Trepanation, the practice of drilling holes in peoples' skulls dates back thousands of years. The holes were circular in shape, performed on live patients. The procedure was, done to treat people afflicted or possessed by demons the hole was a means for their escape from the patient's body. Cultures throughout the world practiced trepanation, also used to cure various ailments. It dates back as far as the Neolithic Period (began about 8,000 BC).

More than 1,000 years ago, ancient Peruvians practiced trepanation their version entailed a surgical procedure that required the removal of part of the skull using a hand drill or a scraping instrument. Patients survived the procedure. It is safe to believe that the Ancient Peruvian practitioners of trepanation were talented in the use of surgical procedures; so close to a person's brain, it leaves no room for miscalculations.

"We can tell a trepanation is healed because we see these finger-like projections of bone that are growing ... We have several cases where someone suffered a head fracture and were treated with the surgery; in many cases, both the original wound and the trepanation healed ... The idea with this surgery is to go all the way through the bone, but not touch the brain ... That takes incredible skill and practice," said UC Santa Barbara bioarchaeologist Danielle Kurin. (By Andrea Estrada, December 19, 2013; ucsb.edu: Ancient Cranial Surgery)

Rotational Therapy was, developed by Erasmus Darwin (December 12, 1731 - April 18, 1802; English physician, slave- trade abolitionist, philosopher, physiologist, and grandfather of Charles Darwin). Darwin believed that sleep was a cure for disease. He believed that spinning a patient very fast would induce sleep. In reality, this ‘treatment’ caused excessive dizziness, giddiness, and nausea.

The treatment of chemically induced seizures was, introduced by Ladislas J. Meduna (March 27, 1896 - October 31, 1964; Hungarian psychiatrist and neuropathologist). He induced grand mal seizures (also known as generalized tonic-clonic seizure), as a treatment method for schizophrenia. He believed that because epileptics felt tranquil and relaxed following seizures, the same might apply to schizophrenics. Dr. von Meduna experimented with various seizure-inducing drugs including strychnine, caffeine, and absinthe (a once banned, high alcohol spirit drink; it is now legal to purchase).

Electroconvulsive Therapy (or Shock Therapy; ECT) was first used in 1938 by Italian neurologists Ugo Cerletti (September 26, 1877 - July 25, 1963), as a treatment for psychosis (a loss of contact, with reality, the person has trouble differentiating between what is real and what is not). Dr. Cerletti acquired the idea after witnessing cows that had been shocked appeared calm before slaughter. Today it is used to treat severe depression (when other forms of treatment are ineffective), suicidal ideation, and other mental ailments.

ECT entails the attaching of electrodes to a patient’s head either one side or both and an electric current is passed causing changes in brain chemistry and activity. During the early phases of ECT, patients were awake during the procedure and no muscle relaxants were, administered. This caused bone fractures and breaks resulting from severe thrashing of the body. Later, general anaesthesia and muscle relaxants were, administered.

Because the muscles are, relaxed only mini movements of the body may be, noticed. The patient is, monitored throughout the procedure. Normally, the patient will awaken a short while after the procedure, there will be no memory of the procedure or surrounding events, confusion is common. Normally, the procedure may be, administered no more than, three times a week for a few weeks.

The American Psychiatric Association believes that ECT can be beneficial and safe when a necessity exists for a quick treatment response or when a patient will not eat causing nutritional deficiencies, when anti-depression therapy does not work, and when other medical problems prevent the administration of anti-depression medication. In addition, patients in a catatonic stupor, when there is a combination of depression and psychotic features, major depression, bipolar disorder, mania, dangerous suicide, patients who have had prior ECTs, psychotic depression or psychotic mania, and schizophrenia. Supporters of ECT like to paint this treatment method as relatively safe and effective. This is not always the case.

In 2005, Peggy S. Salters, a sixty year-old former psychiatric nurse received thirteen ECT treatments in a nineteen-day period. She was, awarded $635,177 by a jury for permanent damage incurred; the jury found that she had