Stichting Skepsis
Encyclopedia
Stichting Skepsis is a Dutch
organization dedicated to the promotion and practice of scientific skepticism
. Since 1988 the organization publishes a journal titled Skepter twice a year. It also hosts an annual conference in Utrecht
.
) he did a reading
for a woman. During the conversation he claimed knowledge of the woman's supposed past lives, telling her that she had been a certain "Hillegien Rozeboom" in an earlier life and that her husband was a "genverbrander".
Stichting Skepsis looked up this information and found a genealogical
website with the same information. However, the occupation "genverbrander" never existed. The word was mistyped and should have been "jeneverbrander". According to Stichting Skepsis, the fact that van den Broeke mispronounced the word exactly as it was mistyped on this website proved that he had simply looked up the information in advance. Two months later, in February 2006, it was reported that because of Stichting Skepsis efforts no further episodes of the show would be produced and that no re-runs would be aired.
Sylvia Millecam
died as a result of breast cancer
. After being diagnosed the actress sought second opinions and treatment from two alternative medicine
providers and self-proclaimed healing medium
Jomanda
. These told Millecam that she did not have cancer but suffered from some bacterial infection instead. Millecam's condition steadily worsened until the cancer could no longer be treated.
The Dutch public prosecutor
initially pressed charges but dropped them after concluding that Millecam had made her decision independently. At this point Stichting Skepsis and the Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij
took legal steps forcing the prosecutor to continue his case. In 2009 the case concluded with a guilty verdict against the two alternative healers, but acquittal for Jomanda.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
organization dedicated to the promotion and practice of scientific skepticism
Scientific skepticism
Scientific skepticism is the practice of questioning the veracity of claims lacking empirical evidence or reproducibility, as part of a methodological norm pursuing "the extension of certified knowledge". For example, Robert K...
. Since 1988 the organization publishes a journal titled Skepter twice a year. It also hosts an annual conference in Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
.
Robbert van den Broeke
In late 2005 Stichting Skepsis took on Robbert van den Broeke, a self-proclaimed psychic with numerous appearances on Dutch television. In an episode of his television show Er is zo veel meer (with Irene MoorsIrene Moors
Irene Moors is a Dutch TV personality, singer, and host.-Career:Her career took off in 1989 with RTL 4's Telekids, co-starring Carlo Boszhard, turning them both into TV icons of the Netherlands....
) he did a reading
Cold reading
Cold reading is a series of techniques used by mentalists, psychics, fortune-tellers, illusionists, and con artists to determine or express details about another person, often in order to convince them that the reader knows much more about a subject than they actually do...
for a woman. During the conversation he claimed knowledge of the woman's supposed past lives, telling her that she had been a certain "Hillegien Rozeboom" in an earlier life and that her husband was a "genverbrander".
Stichting Skepsis looked up this information and found a genealogical
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
website with the same information. However, the occupation "genverbrander" never existed. The word was mistyped and should have been "jeneverbrander". According to Stichting Skepsis, the fact that van den Broeke mispronounced the word exactly as it was mistyped on this website proved that he had simply looked up the information in advance. Two months later, in February 2006, it was reported that because of Stichting Skepsis efforts no further episodes of the show would be produced and that no re-runs would be aired.
Jomanda and Sylvia Millecam
In August 2001 the Dutch television personalityCelebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
Sylvia Millecam
Sylvia Millecam
Sylvia Millecam was a Dutch actress and comedian. She was featured regularly on Dutch television, hosting several shows, appearing in nationwide distributed movies and releasing two albums.She died of breast cancer in 2001...
died as a result of breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. After being diagnosed the actress sought second opinions and treatment from two alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
providers and self-proclaimed healing medium
Mediumship
Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
Jomanda
Jomanda
Johanna Wilhelmina Petronella Damman, known under her nickname Jomanda , is a controversial Dutch New Age guru who refers to herself as the Lady of the light.- Background :...
. These told Millecam that she did not have cancer but suffered from some bacterial infection instead. Millecam's condition steadily worsened until the cancer could no longer be treated.
The Dutch public prosecutor
Ministry of Justice (Netherlands)
The Ministry of Security and Justice is the Dutch ministry of justice. Until 14 October 2010, the ministry was just called Ministry of Justice , but at the start of the Rutte cabinet, the name changed because it had taken over some public safety duties from the Ministry of the Interior...
initially pressed charges but dropped them after concluding that Millecam had made her decision independently. At this point Stichting Skepsis and the Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij
Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij
The Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij is a Dutch organization that investigates the claims of alternative medicine and opposes quackery. Ever since its foundation in 1881 the organization has published a magazine, currently titled Nederlands Tijdschrift tegen de Kwakzalverij...
took legal steps forcing the prosecutor to continue his case. In 2009 the case concluded with a guilty verdict against the two alternative healers, but acquittal for Jomanda.