Some of the worst kinds of abuse happen right in front of us—often hidden behind love, care, and even medicine.

In this episode, Jill sits down with returning guest Andrea Dunlop and her co-author and colleague Mike Weber to talk about their book, The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy. Munchausen by Proxy (MBP) is a disturbing form of medical child abuse, which we have covered on the podcast before, where a caregiver—usually a mother—makes a child sick or pretends they are, all for attention and sympathy.

Andrea, a podcast host and expert on MBP, and Mike, a seasoned law enforcement officer with years of experience in child abuse cases, highlighted what they’ve learned from investigating these heartbreaking stories. 

They explain why these cases are so hard to catch, the legal system’s challenges in prosecuting perpetrators, and the chilling similarities between MBP and child sexual abuse.

And make sure to stick around until the end of the episode, where Jill and Emily wrap up with a debrief about the emotional toll of confronting such tough realities. 

Andrea Dunlop is the author of four novels, including She Regrets Nothing and Women Are the Fiercest Creatures, and the host and creator of Nobody Should Believe Me, an award-winning investigative true crime podcast about Munchausen by proxy. Andrea is the founder of Munchausen Support, the nation’s only non-profit dedicated to supporting survivors and families affected by MBP, and a member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP committee, where she serves alongside the country’s foremost experts. She lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.

Mike Weber has forty years of law enforcement experience, including fifteen years as a crimes against children investigator. Detective Weber has consulted with numerous police agencies and district attorney’s offices nationally on cases of medical child abuse, and was awarded the 2016 NCMEC Texas Hero for Children Award. He currently lives and works in Fort Worth.

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