Sensing Murder

Steve Kilgallon at Stuff writes:

Sensing Murder, where self-acclaimed psychics attempt to divine the fates of missing people, will return to New Zealand television screens again in 2017.

The show gives psychics photos of missing – presumed dead – people and asks them to discover their fates. 

Not once has this had any measurable impact. Police have confirmed that in four seasons of the show, no tips from a psychic have led to a case being solved. 

Not just that: they’ve demonstrably offered incorrect findings. 

And last time around, programme makers turned down an offer worth up to $400,000 from Wanaka tourist entrepreneur Stuart Landsborough to have the psychics’ work independently tested and evaluated.

Between them, the psychics have no scientific or legal qualification, no formal investigatory experience, nothing to single them out from me, you or your pet dog in being worthy to solve crimes, and indeed to solve them on primetime television. That being so, I could go on the next season of Sensing Murder and be just as much use to them in finding out whodunnit.

The show is an insult to the police, for these are usually cases they have spent many years and plenty of resources trying to solve.

It’s an insult to the families, whether they have co-operated or not, to re-open new wounds and win publicity and acclaim from their pain.

It’s an insult to New Zealand television audiences that they be expected to swallow such patent rubbish. 

The only people to benefit are the psychics, who get free publicity to drive their businesses. By the way, I’m not saying they don’t genuinely believe they have some sort of ability to help. I’m saying those in charge shouldn’t humour that delusion.

I couldn’t agree more. It is appalling TVNZ puts on such a show, which just exploits the pain of victims of crime.