Witness Denies Defense Allegation in Cult Case : Courts: Psychotherapist says he did not encourage his two clients to dredge up childhood memories of ritual abuse.

A psychotherapist who has treated scores of people who claim to be victims of abuse by satanic cults denied Monday that he had encouraged two Orange County sisters to dredge up childhood memories of ritual abuse.

Timothy Maas, director of counseling at Seaview Counseling Inc. in Huntington Beach, is the star witness in the civil lawsuit by the two sisters, who allege that their 76-year-old mother and other cult members abused them from infancy until they were young women.

Under cross-examination Monday, Maas testified that he has no scientific or physical evidence of child abuse by satanic cults but believes nonetheless that it does occur.

“I assume that it exists, but I also leave it to the client to tell me what has happened in their life,” Maas told a Superior Court jury.

Maas testified that he and his associates found that both daughters, ages 48 and 35, as well as an 11-year-old granddaughter, suffered from multiple personality disorder as a result of ritual abuse.

During six days of testimony, all three have told the jury lurid and grotesque tales of rape, druggings, torture and ritual murders conducted in secret mountain caves. Some of the events date back more than 35 years. They have also alleged that they were abused and tortured in their home by their mother and their father, who is deceased, and that they were prostituted and used in pornographic films.

The defense insists that none of it ever happened.

Under questioning by attorney Tom M. Allen, who is defending the 76-year-old Mission Viejo mother, Maas acknowledged that he had never investigated the medical or psychological histories of the two sisters to learn whether there might be an alternative explanation for their problems.

Both daughters have testified that they suffered nervous breakdowns and other psychological problems, and the younger sister said she was hospitalized for a breakdown at the age of 23. Both have said they were unable to remember most of their childhoods until they entered therapy and the dark memories began to emerge.

Under questioning from Allen, Maas said he did not seek a medical examination to learn whether the women had any type of psychotic disorders or organic brain damage that might cause such memory lapses nor did he inquire whether the women had been taking drugs or medication because he did not feel such records were pertinent.

“Mr. Maas, how do you know if it’s pertinent to the case if you haven’t seen (the records)?” Allen demanded.

“It would just depend on the patient case,” Maas replied. “I have my own ways of assessing what’s happening with a patient.”

Allen suggested that the technique Maas uses to encourage patients to remember traumatic childhood events could induce self-hypnosis or could prompt the patient to produce fantasies to “fill in the gaps” in their memories. Maas denied this, saying that patients with multiple personality disorder are able to distinguish fact from fantasy and dreams from memories.

“Are the memories accurate?” Allen asked.

“They might be foggy because of drugs or the age of the child, or there’s been some sort of tricking . . . but the memories tend to be pretty accurate,” Maas said.

The defense attorney noted that the younger sister had testified that cult members once took her to a library where she was forced to consume human pus and scabs.

“Do you believe that testimony?” Allen asked.

“Yes,” Maas replied, later adding, “If they show emotion and it is connected both with body experiences and with the event that took place, then yes, I accept it as true.”

Outside the courtroom, Allen said Maas’ therapeutic approach “is wholly inconsistent with recognized established protocol.” Both sides are expected to produce other psychological experts to support their claims.

Maas testified that he had no motive for suggesting to patients that they might have suffered sexual or ritual abuse. However, if patients show symptoms of abuse, such as memory loss, headaches, body pains, sleeping or eating disorders or fears and phobias, he testified, “I will say that they seem to have the symptoms of sexual abuse.”

Maas testified that he himself was sexually abused as a child and that he believes that ritual child abuse has been taking place for centuries.

He testified that he had treated both daughters and that associates under his supervision had treated the granddaughter and, briefly, the 76-year-old defendant. He said he did review a letter the daughters wrote their mother confronting her with the alleged abuse and suggesting she seek therapy.

Allen charged that Maas had breached the grandmother’s patient confidentiality by siding with the daughters, referring them to a lawyer and then testifying on their behalf.

Three other Seaview therapists also testified Monday, each denying having in any way coached the daughters or the granddaughter. One therapist, Judy Possnack, testified that after the granddaughter described five or six memories of ritual abuse by her grandmother, she filed a report of suspected child abuse with the Orange County Department of Social Services in September, 1988. The girl’s mother said she later filed a second report.

Department of Social Services Director Larry M. Leaman confirmed that multiple reports had been filed with the agency. He said the department’s social workers investigated and determined that the child was not at risk since she was being protected by her mother and forwarded the reports to two local police departments and the district attorney.

The trial is expected to continue for at least a week.