Mrs Gregory denies all the allegations.
She approached me I believe because, as a freelance investigative journalist specializing in investigations into false allegations of MSBP I am known internationally. This daughter-against-mother allegation is thought to be unique.
It seemed to me for a good year or so that there was not much that could be done pro-actively on Mrs Gregory’s behalf, except maintain a watching brief, because of the limited scope for legal action in the United States (Mrs Gregory would have had to fund this up-front, she would have to prove her innocence, and there was a question of time-limitation – the situation is slightly different in the UK – the publishers would have to prove the truth of what was alleged).
Then, in January 2006, another book published by Random House, A Million Little Pieces, written by James Frey, was exposed by TheSmokingGun.com as containing false claims. Oprah Winfrey joined in condemning the book. Random House initially stood by their author (they said publicly this is official policy) then they publicly admitted they could no longer do this.
So I starting cross-checking claims in Sickened against documents and photographs sent earlier by Mrs Gregory-Parocai. I asked public authorities in the US to send me documents (for example SSD records, death certificates etc.). Others sent me newspaper cuttings, photographs of grave-stones etc. I undertook research with Ancestry.com. This way I was able to begin to disprove significant damaging claims in the book. This continues. My early findings were sent to Random House, who are still looking into them so far as I can tell.
At least Random House responded to me about the proved false claims in the book – Julie Gregory never has. She still keeps a website running which repeats many of the false allegations in the book. Shortly after the James Frey episode on Oprah Winfrey’s show, perhaps unsurprisingly, Julie Gregory abandoned a petition she was promoting which she hoped would get herself and her campaign against her mother on nationwide television. Julie’s mother was very willing to appear, as were the adopted children.
Sandy Gregory-Parocai was also willing to appear on the Dr Phil show when this was mooted on Julie Gregory’s own website, but Julie Gregory refused.
Mrs Gregory has provided me with every document and photograph needed to check claims in the book, where she is able to provide them.
Of course she does not have all the evidence yet that she needs to challenge the medicalised abuse allegations. Her daughter’s medical records need to be independently investigated, not just the selected few presented in the book. I had the latter checked and there really was legitimate cause for concern about Julie’s condition; no paediatrician would wisely have ignored this and no cardiac specialist would have undertaken tests without good reason.
A full account of my investigation would need a book the size of Sickened to relate, and this may well happen. Meanwhile the sustained allegations and campaign written about in Sickened have had a seriously damaging effect on the Gregory-Parocai family. Montana authorities removed the two adopted children but returned them after their own investigation.
Where the allegations can be checked they have been proved false. This must surely raise concerns about the truthfulness of other allegations in the book. These need investigating – Mrs Gregory-Parocai says she wants this to happen. Will her daughter and the publishers Random House agree to this and meanwhile acknowledge there are proved fabricated claims in Sickened?
