Brainwashing Evan and Ryan
Damon's older brothers, Evan and Ryan believed Damon about the abuse--
that is until they were subjected to intensive coercive persuasion tactics.
When children tell on fathers for sexually abusing them, they are often subjected to various levels of coercion to silence them. Family courts support and enable the coercive persuasion tactics (commonly known as brainwashing) by appointing psychologists to do it under the pretext of "reunification therapy". Family Courts 'appoint' the reunification psychologists so that they will have partial immunity and will be difficult to sue for malpractice or fraud.
Siblings who can corroborate the abuse or side with their brother/sister are also a liability, so abusers spend enormous amounts of time and money to control them as well. Dr. Breffni Barrett was paid over $20,000 at $200/hr., well over his normal fee for legitimate psychological services to accomplish the brainwashing.
All of the usual mind control tactics were used on Evan and Ryan. First they were taken away from their mother for an extended period (isolation), which caused them to be lonely and traumatized. Then they were subjected to a doctor, along with their father, in a small room telling them over and over that their brother was never really abused and their mom was lying about it. They did not blame Damon for obvious reasons and they purposely did not have him with them for the first month or two so he could not tell his side of the story.
By the time Eric and Barrett let Damon join them, Evan and Ryan had already been sufficiently manipulated. They had warmed to Eric's fake charm and had mostly bought the lies they were told by Dr. Barrett and Eric. They were hungry for affection and attention after being isolated from their mother and everyone on their mom's side of the family. They wanted to believe they have a good dad, and Eric was sure acting the part.
The persuasive tactics continued with Damon in the room, but Damon would not say the abuse did not happen. They eventually gave up and instead worked on getting him to forget about it and 'put it in the past' (abusers' favorite line).
Then came another powerful tactic: forced dependency. Family court Judge Alksne gave full custody to Eric with only occasional strictly supervised visits with their mother, who was told she could not talk to them about the case or the abuse (i.e. the truth was kept from them). Evan and Ryan were made to depend on Eric and Nicole for food, expenses, and a roof over their heads, they become further attached to the abuser.
Covert intimidation worked on Evan and Ryan as well. They believed all the horrible things that Damon said Eric did to him, so they know he is capable of doing the same or worse to them. A survival mechanism kicks in as in Stockholm Syndrome--by bonding with the abuser, it makes them feel safer.
And the final powerful tactic: bribes. Evan and Ryan were rewarded with the good life for being loyal to Eric and falling for his lies.
That is how fathers get away with molesting their children.
This is on top of all the other image management contortions child molesters go through, such as duping a new wife into believing them and helping to take care of the children. A perfect target would be a woman, like Nicole, who does not have children of her own. Nicole is unwittingly part of Eric's cover, just as Sandusky's wife is part of his cover. She was not brainwashed, just conned and duped.
Siblings who can corroborate the abuse or side with their brother/sister are also a liability, so abusers spend enormous amounts of time and money to control them as well. Dr. Breffni Barrett was paid over $20,000 at $200/hr., well over his normal fee for legitimate psychological services to accomplish the brainwashing.
All of the usual mind control tactics were used on Evan and Ryan. First they were taken away from their mother for an extended period (isolation), which caused them to be lonely and traumatized. Then they were subjected to a doctor, along with their father, in a small room telling them over and over that their brother was never really abused and their mom was lying about it. They did not blame Damon for obvious reasons and they purposely did not have him with them for the first month or two so he could not tell his side of the story.
By the time Eric and Barrett let Damon join them, Evan and Ryan had already been sufficiently manipulated. They had warmed to Eric's fake charm and had mostly bought the lies they were told by Dr. Barrett and Eric. They were hungry for affection and attention after being isolated from their mother and everyone on their mom's side of the family. They wanted to believe they have a good dad, and Eric was sure acting the part.
The persuasive tactics continued with Damon in the room, but Damon would not say the abuse did not happen. They eventually gave up and instead worked on getting him to forget about it and 'put it in the past' (abusers' favorite line).
Then came another powerful tactic: forced dependency. Family court Judge Alksne gave full custody to Eric with only occasional strictly supervised visits with their mother, who was told she could not talk to them about the case or the abuse (i.e. the truth was kept from them). Evan and Ryan were made to depend on Eric and Nicole for food, expenses, and a roof over their heads, they become further attached to the abuser.
Covert intimidation worked on Evan and Ryan as well. They believed all the horrible things that Damon said Eric did to him, so they know he is capable of doing the same or worse to them. A survival mechanism kicks in as in Stockholm Syndrome--by bonding with the abuser, it makes them feel safer.
And the final powerful tactic: bribes. Evan and Ryan were rewarded with the good life for being loyal to Eric and falling for his lies.
That is how fathers get away with molesting their children.
This is on top of all the other image management contortions child molesters go through, such as duping a new wife into believing them and helping to take care of the children. A perfect target would be a woman, like Nicole, who does not have children of her own. Nicole is unwittingly part of Eric's cover, just as Sandusky's wife is part of his cover. She was not brainwashed, just conned and duped.