Opinion ID: 1659672
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: third hearing

Text: Mary then filed a motion for relief from judgment pursuant to M.R.C.P. 60(b)(3), claiming that since the court's last judgment restricting John's visitation with Jane, Mary had discovered that John was Jane's sexual abuser. [6] Mary requested that John's visitation with the minor child be extinguished. John filed his own motion for relief from judgment. At the January 29, 1992, hearing on the motions for relief from judgment, Dr. Jan Boggs reported that Jane told him nobody had ever hurt her or done anything to her they shouldn't have; that her mom said not to mention her dad; that no one had ever told her to say she had been touched by anyone; that she had never touched anyone in a private place, nor had anyone asked her to do so. Jane later told Dr. Boggs that John had touched her in a private place with a bad touch. Jane said nobody was around when John did this; she wouldn't use a doll to show what John had done. [7] According to Dr. Boggs, Jane did not exhibit any emotion in making these statements. Dr. Boggs was not satisfied that many of Jane's statements implicating her father were spontaneous. Dr. Boggs concluded that Jane had not been sexually abused; that the degree of validity of statements made by an abused child is greater when the statements are made closer in time to the event; and that Jane was not able to provide details in response to open-ended questions. Even in cases of sexual abuse, according to Dr. Boggs, such complete alienation of the parent/perpetrator as Jane exhibited toward John was extraordinary. Dr. Boggs said resumption of visitation with John would not traumatize Jane. Brenda Chance reported that Jane continued to express fear of her father and did not want to see him. Jane told Chance My daddy said he would kill me if I told about having sex with me. Jane said that her daddy had used the bathroom in my mouth. Since the second hearing, Jane had only identified her father and her paternal grandfather to Chance as perpetrators of her sexual abuse. Chance was of the opinion that Jane had been sexually abused by John and his father. Chance felt visitation with John would be detrimental to Jane. In Chance's opinion, Jane's best interests would be served by no further contact with John. Paulette Hall was still of the opinion that Jane had not been sexually abused. John still denied any inappropriate conduct with Jane. Following this hearing, the special chancellor entered an order granting Mary relief from judgment and modifying the former judgment. All visitation between Jane and John was suspended and John was further enjoined from any contact with the child. Mary was again awarded a portion of her attorney fees. John's motion for relief from judgment was dismissed with prejudice. Again, John filed a notice of appeal with this Court.