so here's a make-up for the missing sawney beane story. i promise to get it back online, kay?
true stories of human horror. ick - and i can't look away.
man, there's a movie i don't want to see. ick, i feel dirty.On South Mountain
The Dark Secrets of the Goler Clan
David Cruise & Alison Griffiths
ISBN 0140263691
24 Aug 1998Imagine a lush green valley, dotted with prosperous farms and towns. It could be anywhere in North America — the Okanagan in BC, the Niagara orchards of Ontario. In this case it happens to be the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia. But on one hill, South Mountain, lives the a clan of impoverished, inbred hillbillies, ignored or shunned by the people in the valley below for two hundred years. Few have much schooling, most are unemployed, and they keep almost entirely to themselves.
Two solitudes side by side, until one day in January 1984, Sandra Golder, aged thirteen, burst into tears in class. When her teacher took her out into the hall to ask her why she was crying, a gruesome story of incest and sexual abuse began to emerge. Within hours the story had spread to the principal, a social worker, and finally the police. Within weeks a full-fledged scandal had been unleashed on the valley: sixteen adults — men and women — from the Mountain were charged with hundreds of allegations of incest and sexual abuse of children as young as five. It gradually became clear that this had been going on for generations, a cycle endlessly repeated.
This book tells the amazing story not only of the court cases that followed, but the way the valley community reacted. Dark secrets weren't the exclusive property of the Golers: the townspeople had their own, including the fact that some of them had known about the abuse for decades and done nothing about it.
34 comments:
I know it’s too late to comment on this thread, but I just finished the book, and I don’t want to pollute my poor husband’s head with the details and my own ranting. With regards to Jessica’s comment, the authors made it quite clear that the people of The Valley wanted the whole thing over right from the start. In fact, they didn’t want it started in the first place, and they don’t want the whole thing unearthed again, despite continuing conditions of poverty, incest and abuse on South Mountain.
A noted Wolfville personality and Acadia professor who is quoted extensively in On South Mountain, recorded a man and girl whose relationship was ill-defined living east of New Ross, NS (almost an hour outside of Wolfville by car today) as early as the 1930’s. In the following decade she spearheaded efforts to help the people of South Mountain, particularly by conducting a census. During the course of the census, the Acadia students reported dozens of instances of people living together claiming to have one familial relationship, while their neighbors or even other family members claimed they were related differently. Obviously a red flag, but as usual, all the people of the Valley were concerned with was the Mountain people’s hygiene.
Furthermore, Sandra Goler, the girl who reported the abuse in 1984, had reported the abuse to other school officials previously and they actually RETURNED THE GIRL TO HER FATHER and informed him of her “lies”. The authors also state that they find it unlikely that if the social worker and police officer who took testimony from the young witnesses had been a native of the Valley, none of the investigation would have taken place. It would be another Mountain problem, and none of their concern.
So, yes, absolutely the authorities knew about the abuse. Yes, they knew it wasn’t limited to the Goler Clan. Yes, they knew that it had continued for generations. They simply wanted nothing to do with the dirty, heathen Mountain people. And when it was brought to light, the Third-World conditions, the horrific physical abuse, the endless sexual torture, all happening just meters from their own backyards, yes, they absolutely wanted it to GO AWAY as soon as possible.
The judge, who had just a few years previously given William Goler custody of his three daughters over their mother, gave him the stiffest sentence: seven years. Could any of those children recover in seven years? As was patently obvious, both then and now, no. No long-term counseling was provided to the Goler children, and accordingly, only the youngest among them— three years old at the time of the trials— has experienced no lifelong effects.
Every other child had a difficult time in foster care, or couldn’t adjust to modern society, or had behavioral problems. Most of them have returned to the Mountain now, the only place they’ve ever felt comfortable. They now deny the abuse, despite the older Golers’ confessions to police.
As other have noted, this problem is generations-old. Abuse in the Goler Clan can be traced back at least five generations by my count, so there’s no reason to suspect that the problem will solve itself. In fact, as a post script to the book, the authors note that in 1997, William Goler and his brother Cranswick were arrested again for sexually abusing a small child; this time the son or daughter of one of the 1984 victims.
And even still the Valley looks the other way. “That is all in the past, and I hope it stays that way.” Until there is real change in the Annapolis Valley’s attitudes towards its own problems, the problems it created for itself by ostracizing the Mountain people starting two hundred years ago, then it will bear a stain, along with the whole of Nova Scotia.
I have just finished this story.
I am not much for armchair observation.
But this one thing I have avowed in my life
Going above and beyond the call of duty, when it comes to our children, is forever going to be a principle in my life.
My sincere prayer is that all of these children will be able to one day courageouly face the demons of this past
As a father myself, I can say {as trite as it may seem to some}our hearts are with them where ever they are
I can tell you for a fact that a lot of that book is ficticious. I know "Donna" or "Marie" or "Hazel" or Sam" or whatever name she is going by now and she is a maniulative and compulsive liar. Much of what she told those naive authors was exaggerated or made up to sell books. And the authors didn't even check the sources or investigate the other side of the story(Mrs.Lawrence) That's poor and irresponsible journalism.
I am not disuting that incest happened, and its horrible, but the fact that the authors took her words for granted is not acceptable.
I was a victim of incest...in Ontario not nova scotia. I am now in my fifties and there is not a day goes by that I do not forget. I was raped by my father and I told people in my community and family repeatedly for years when I finally told my mother she beat me senseless for defaming my father.I was trapped until I ran. My father was finally charged with 6 counts of sexual abuse of a minor. The judge said that the only people who knew anything happened would be my parents??? As someone who went through the court system in Canada I can tell you that unless it happens on the front lawn with a tv camera filming it you will NOT get justice. For those of you who think we lie for attention.Get real!!!!.Would you want to be known as that girl?????? Sandra is a Very brave young women and we should all be grateful to her. We are taking down the wall of silence one brick at a time.For Bluenoser: I think if you are brave enough to say others lie then you should be proud enough to put your name to it. How do "you" know she lied? Were you there? Anyone who feels that strongly must have some knowledge?
Hi Muriel,
I am not saying that "Donna"lied about the incest that occured within the Goler Clan. Yes, a lot of it may have been exaggerated but I know it occured as I have read all of the court documents and I have spoken to people involved.
My point was that you should not take everything that is written for granted.Anyone that knows "Donna" would tell you the same. I know for a fact that she stretched the truth in order to make for a more compelling story.
The reason I choose not to sign my real name is because I live close to that area and don't really feel like getting harrassing phone calls.
By the way, I also went through 18 years of pure hell so I can relate.
When an child lives and grows up in a physically and mentally healthy environment, even they have exaggerated perceptions and memories of their childhood because it happened at a crtiical developmental stage. The horrific abuse of the Goler children was verified by several adult family members. Uncle Cranwick stated very clearly how much he enjoyed sexually hurting and abusing all of the kids. He was violent and cruel. He didn't exaggerate when he candidly told the authorites what a great time he had sexually abusing and hurting the children. He simply verified exactly what the children had lived through. My professional assessment of 'Mrs. Lawrence' is that she was not professionally nor clinically qualified to deal with any child who lived through the Goler experience. Finally, no one has finalized the investigation of the deaths of the other Goler children on the Goler property.
I cannot believe that people knew about these events going on and did nothing! Shame on the parents, doctors, school teachers, children's aid,and the legal system. etc. What the hell is wrong with you people!!!!!!!
It disgusts me how these people lived in filth and treated their children. THESE PEOPLE ARE DISGUSTING ANIMALS!!!!
Children don't make up events like this. They have better things to do... like be children,to be loved, protected, and cherished.
My heart goes out to all the Goler children, past and present.
Tracy
Wow, I am almost done with the book. I am absolutely disgusted at what went on. How can you "do this" to your own daughter? How? Good for the girl to come out with the truth, it takes a LOT of courage....
I know a friend who tried to interview one of the golers a while back,They are crazy people and he had to get a restraining order against one of them who threatened his life.Inbreeding created mental dysfunctions as well.I also have a good friend,his parents did not know they were closely related they fell in love later in the future with 2 sons They found out they were of the same blood line my friend turned out ok his brother did not.Its a sad world out there We all got to deal with it the best we can.I really feel sad for my friend,But its not there fault
If anyone thinks this kind of thing will simply "go away", you are sadly mistaken. The "system" doesn't aknowledge ongoing abuse anymore now than it did in the 80s.
I WORK within the children's services system- and I see FREQUENTLY how front line staff, teachers, social workers, etc. AVOID "seeing" the truth so they don't have to face the fact that this kind of thing continues to fester within our society.
I lived in Halifax a number of years AFTER the Goler case- and was APPALLED to find that there was/is an annual GOLER PARTY within the university community, where you come dressed as "your favourite Goler". Obviously, our society does not take this SERIOUSLY and continue to laugh it off as some kind of joke, or entertainment.
I'm fast coming to the conclusion that people need to have a DEGREE in child-care/parenting before they should be allowed to have children- and if you don't have a degree...then you can'tkeep your kids---put them in adoptivehomes with people who DO have a clue how to raise and how to treat children.
And if you're IQ is below a certain level, perhaps mandatory sterilization is necessary.
I know, I know, this is VERY old fashioned way of thinking- but...after 30 years in social services, I can't believe how much worse things are NOW as far as parenting goes. And the overwhelming stress on an underfunded social service system...and by whom? You guessed it. People who simply don't have a clue how to parent...many unable to or unwilling to work...uneducated... you name it.
It has gotten much worse over the years, and will continue to get even WORSE.
The cycle continues.....
And every one of those adult Golers should have been sterilized before being turned loose on society to re-offend
DROCK:
Inbreeding does not "create" mental dysfunctions. Inbreeding does not "create" anything that isn't already there, genetically, to begin with. What inbreeding DOES do, is intensifies, doubles up on, the genes that are already there. If you're inbreeding on mentally intelligent/superior ancestors, ten you will produce menally superior offspring.
If you inbreed on mentally deficient ancestors, then you will prouce mentally defficient offspring.
Inbreeding only increases the liklihood of produing what is ALREADY there genetically. It does not/cannot produce something that isn't already there in the genes to begin with.
The Jewish race, for example, was founded on "inbreeding" --- plenty of highly intelligent individuals there... the Egyptian Pharohs were inbred... lots of intelligent royal family members there. Cleopatra, coidered the most intelligent and most beautiful woman IN THE WORLD at that time... was from a brother/sister marriage.
Inbreeding doubls on genes that are ALREADY THERE. It doesn't "create" something new.
I was abused as a child living in Nova Scotia. Nobody wanted to know about it. I told my mother I told the child therapist that my mother sent me to. She believed I was lying. It started when I was 5 and I told her the very first time it happened. Her drinking came first so many times I was left alone with this man. He was an Insurance Sales man that befriended my mother. Mother and father were separated and father was away in the navy. Once he got out of the Navy he moved to Ontario. I was allowed to visit him in Ontario one summer and he chose to fight for custody. No one else believed me so I decided not to tell him either. He got custody of me and I never went back to Halifax.
My father never knew what happened to me until I became an adult. I tried to talk to my mother about it as an adult but she told me I was crazy. So I went to the hospital and told them I need help because I thought I was losing my mind. After a lot of therapy and sodium pentothal treatments I realized that my memories were real. Now I had to find a way to live with them. What happened to me almost ruined my life. I got lucky and got help but, I often think about all the other children he had access to. What about them? Did he do this to anyone else? Did anyone help them? He is dead now but will his children repeat the cycle?
Mother and I have not had a relationship since I moved to Ontario. She won't talk about it and for me that's a condition of starting a relationship with me. She is elderly now and just doesn't care and she still has a drinking problem. I got very lucky I was able to get away. I decided once I had children that I would teach them that their bodies are theirs and no one is allowed to touch them, and if they do to tell me, a teacher, a cop, anyone just tell.
Society forgets that today’s children are tomorrow's adults. They remember the good and the bad.
If any of those children went back to the mountain you can be sure the cycle continues. Who will stop it? Who will teach them that it’s wrong? Remember the adults never admitted that it happened so for the children of those adults and the children to follow it is a dirty little secret that must be kept in the family.
If you know of a child being abused PLEASE PLEASE reach out and help them. IF YOU DON’T THEN WHO WILL?
I just finished the book myself. I've grown up an hours drive away from the valley and have spent time there for the various parades and events, totally unaware of horrors that took place just minutes away. My only hopes are that the victims can start to recover in some way, knowing that life could never be 100 percent the same; and that our social services have come a long way from what they were 25 years ago. Many children may have been spared if their complaints had been taken seriously. Also, I hope that people don't truly believe that the lifestyle depicted in the book should be an accepted norm for people to follow. No human being should be subject to those horrific experiences and a accepted ways of life. We need to make sure that at least the children are spared as they do not get a choice. Finally, I hope that the book represents historical events and doesn't represent something that is taking place today; I cannot think that people are living in those conditions in 21st century Canada.
to bluenoser.......my only comment to you is " is that you Sandra or Stella? Maybe the ignorant, abusive, Mrs. Lawrence?
Sorry Rednex - I am not Roberta,nor am I related to her. I am not Stella or Sandra either. Close to home though.
I too am from the Annaplois Valley and grew up hearing stories of "The Golers". I remember as a child asking what kind of a place do I live in??? I couldn't understand the "blind-eye" approach people took toward them. I have been gone from Nova Scotia now for 5 years and I look at my "home" with shame knowing that these children were failed. They were failed by the "system", their family and by Children's Services and by each person in the valley that knew but that just seperated themselves from the truth of what was happening just a short drive away. Because of class and standard this family was able to do this for so long; so long that it became their way of life. I am saddened and ashamed at times to be from the valley. I know that the system has numerous flaws...but experiencing the unjust manner that victims experience in the valley sickens me and stands as a huge reason for me leaving. I suffered as did my own children at the hands of the ignorance of "valley-opinions and thinking". The system failed to protect me or my children when we needed them most. My children lost faith in Child Services even though I held out hope. In the end; they all failed us and we will live with the damage it created forever. Shame on my home and I take my hat off and applaud those who have stood up and fought to make change in a place that is very content to just let this pass and hopefully it won't get brought up again. I say; keep bringing it to light...keep letting the outside world know what has been happening there for so long.
Bless those poor souls who stood up and told the truth. You are truly heros.
I am sorry you had such a hard time in the Valley 'NovaScotianStill' But does that mean we in the Valley are the only people to act this way? The only place in the world with woefully underfunded social services? The only place with incest? The only place where rich look down their noses at the poor? The only place people ignore abuse? Well, it isn't. I was born in the Valley, and I grew up in the Valley, and although I live in Halifax now I will NEVER EVER be ashamed to BE from the Valley. I have heard many ignorant comments from people when I tell them where I am from, and they always revolve around the Golers, or inbreeding, or 'doing' your cousin etc. I always correct people and tell them child abuse isn't funny, and neither is incest...it isn't something people should laugh at EVER. It happens every day someplace in the world. Like a famous man once said "All that is needed for evil to thrive is for good men to stand by and do nothing" And thats not something unique to the Annapolis Valley, its a beautiful place to live and grow up. Lack of compassion is all around us...not just in the Valley. I am proud of where I am from, and hope to go back there to live someday. My name is Laura, I am from a rural Annapolis Valley community, and I am not ashamed. Neither should you be.
I am from nova Scotia too. I am a mother and a rape victim so i can relate to this on a whole lot of levels. I just came across this and I know it is a discussion long over. I just wanted to say that we have to remember this had been going on for centuries in this family so the guilty adults were once children that had been abused and brought up in the same environment. I know they deserved what they got and more but it is hard not to have empathy for them as well.
I am looking for the website of one of the younger Goler victims who spoke out a lot about it. Perhaps it was the "Donna" mentioned above, but I think her name was Annie. I remember her url had Annie Speaks Now or [whomever] speaks now.
Anyone know?
I just finished reading the book and want to research this story more. bluenoser id like to speak with you and why you are saying she embelished the truth? How could children even know the horrors she was speaking of? Thanks for your time
I knew Donna and I still know a lot of the Goler family. I live near White Rock. You know alot of that story was exaggerated and made up right? I see Cranswick and Mary sometimes.
Where can u buy this book?
My ex is from another of the mountains around Wolfville. Golers aren't the only incestuous family from that area. Town drunks, baby rapists, their enablers . . .adult children having incestuous relationships with parents. Kids being put in foster care, then returned. Neglect of children, plus desertion of still minor children. Usually they leave their families for whatever dog in heat they find that they can stick it into. They also are thieves and liars, who make a career out of living off of other people. They'll kill themselves trying to burn down a house rather than support their own family. One is right now ingratiating himself into one of the more prominent families in the area, pretending to be the family man he's not. They'll learn, once he milks the situation for all it's worth, then runs what's left into the ground. The person he hooked up with is too desperate to not be alone, so the fact that he has demonstrated his willingness to lie and cheat is being ignored while the family purse strings are being untied . . .i'm going to sit back and laugh while it all unfolds . . .
My ex is from another of the mountains around Wolfville. Golers aren't the only incestuous family from that area. Town drunks, baby rapists, their enablers . . .adult children having incestuous relationships with parents. Kids being put in foster care, then returned. Neglect of children, plus desertion of still minor children. Usually they leave their families for whatever dog in heat they find that they can stick it into. They also are thieves and liars, who make a career out of living off of other people. They'll kill themselves trying to burn down a house rather than support their own family. One is right now ingratiating himself into one of the more prominent families in the area, pretending to be the family man he's not. They'll learn, once he milks the situation for all it's worth, then runs what's left into the ground. The person he hooked up with is too desperate to not be alone, so the fact that he has demonstrated his willingness to lie and cheat is being ignored while the family purse strings are being untied . . .i'm going to sit back and laugh while it all unfolds . . .
Thanks for sharing your info. i have not finished the book.
Just read the book. Sounds like "Bluenose" is Roberta Lawrence.
Sorry. Not Roberta. This book relied on one source. Poor journalism. They should’ve delved into her real story and not take her word as the gospel.
William got caught again after he was released.
Do you still have any contact with them?Do they still live in White Rock?
Do you still have contact with them?Do most still live in White Rock?
I do have contact with some. I do not live there.
How many of the adults from the 80s case are still alive ? I heard Tom died recently
Post a Comment