Sir, - Philip Kiernan (January 22nd) asserts that research carried out in America by the US & Wildlife Service had established a link between child abuse, wife-beating and hunting. He "quotes" the research as saying that child abuse was significantly higher among hunters than among other sectors of society and said similar comparisons appeared to show a connection between hunting and wifebeating. It should interest Mr Kiernan and others that these allegations have now been exposed for what they are: despicable lies. The first victim in most campaigns is the truth. The NARGC has, through The European Federation of Hunting Associations of the EU (FACE), now contacted the author of the alleged research: Prof Stephen Kellert of the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University. By e-mail dated February 2nd, Professor Kellert states: "I have seen reference to this claim [of the link] and results of studies I have conducted. These claims are not based on any results we found and represent a complete distortion of our studies and findings."
Professor Kellert has carried out important work on attitudes towards animals and has testified in a number of court cases based on the study. It has been further confirmed to us by e-mail dated February 2nd from Jody Enck, Ph.D., Research Associate, Cornell University: "I am not aware of research sponsored by the US Fish and Wildlife Service that examined attitudes of convicted sex offenders. It is true that about 20 years ago some federally funded research was conducted by Dr Stephen Kellert at Yale University."
Prof Kellert's comments are already quoted. Jody Enck also states in reference to the claims of abuse: "This is a claim I have heard repeated here. I have tracked down a reference to the source material, but I have not seen the data or a scientifically written paper about the issue. Supposedly, it was written up in an animal rights newsletter."
He goes on to say that the material in question was written by Meritt Clifton in 1994 in a publication called Animal People (Vol. III Number 9). He further states:
"I do not believe there is much validity to his work. In New York, it is a well-documented fact that child abuse rates are highest in rural counties. It also is wellknown that the rate of purchasing hunting licences is highest in rural counties. Thus it is a foregone conclusion that there would be a high correlation between the two things. To my knowledge, there has been no credible research on this topic by anyone outside of animal rights groups."
Part of the price for freedom and free speech is that we must suffer contrived and often untrue utterings from certain sections of society. The only thing abused in this case is Professor Kellert's research. - Yours, etc.,
From Desmond Crofton
Director, National Association of Regional Game Councils, Sandford Road, Dublin 6.