RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH KNOWINGLY MAKING FALSE ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL ABUSE

There are times when children say things to a parent that cause them great concern. Sometimes children may say things that at face value are extremely disturbing, but when pursued further they are found to be false or considerably less concerning than originally presented. This may be due to misinformation or a simple misunderstanding on either the child's part or the person hearing the child's complaint.

There are also times when a child may relate information that leads a parent to believe that the child may have been inappropriately touched by the other parent or another adult and then only to find out later that whatever interactions occurred were quite benign. On the other hand, there are instances in which a child has been sexually interferred with. Because of the serious nature of sexual abuse, anytime a child reports something untoward that has happened to him or her, it must be followed up.

When a parent responds to a child's allegation about an alleged sexual misconduct based on genuine concern for the child, it is usually concluded that no malice is intended. In cases where there is no outward signs of injury and/or the allegations soounds questionable, having a discussion with the other parent is an appropriate first step in addressing the concern.

On the other hand, when false allegations of sexual abuse do not follow a logical sequence of events and/or when the allegations occur within the context of marital strife or as a catalyst to a custody dispute, then the underlying motivations of the accusing parent need to be considered as an alternate hypothesis for explaining the abuse.

Knowingly making false allegations of sexual abuse is not a benign action. As a consequence, the person making the allegations needs to be held responsible. Apart from the potentially serious consequence to the person falsely accused of sexual abuse such as a prison sentence, loss of a job, the expense of a defense, losing custody and access to one's children and being placed on a sexual offenders' list, the damage caused to a child being made to believe that he or she was sexually abused when it never happened is now being seriously considered. In some jurisdictions, the court will remove children from the custody of a parent who has made false allegations of sexual abuse against another parent when there is evidence that the parent made the allegations with knowledge and intent.

Need More Information?

Everyone's concerns are unique. For that reason, Dr. Reena Sommer invites you to call her without obligation for a 15-minute consultation to receive some initial direction about your specific concerns. You can reach Dr. Sommer directly by calling her at 281.534.3923.

*FYI: False-Allegations.com and Dr. Reena Sommer & Associates PLLC only provides consultative and investigative services to individuals who have been "falsely" accused of sexual abuse.

Individuals who have engaged in any inappropriate conduct with any child should not seek our services.