The truth about the 16 fathers accusing a child psychologist of false expert reports

Extensive reports and programs on popular media outlets claim that men were falsely accused by their ex-wives of sexually abusing their children due to a "machine producing false expert reports," while in the meantime they have been acquitted, and for this reason have appealed to the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos). The reality is different.

For about a year now, some of the country's largest media outlets have repeatedly and extensively presented the case of a group of men who claim to have been falsely accused of sexually abusing their minor children. The unjust accusations, they say, have been based exclusively on the expert (forensic) assessments of one specific psychologist, commissioned by their ex-wives, who want to "alienate" them from their children. As a result, they have appealed to the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) against this specific psychologist.

Numerous popular media outlets, such as MEGA, ANT1, Star and Proto Thema, as well as many smaller websites, have given extensive coverage to the topic, referring to a "machine producing false medical expert reports" and reproducing, first, that these men have been acquitted of these false accusations and, second, that although they were acquitted, the false accusations have alienated them from their children and have cost them contact with them.

We decided to seek information about the specific cases of the 16 men who have filed reports with the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos), in order to verify their claims.

According to our information, and without disclosing anything that could reveal the identity of those involved, these are two groups of men, nine and seven respectively, who have filed two reports. Their cases are as follows:

First group:

Case 1: A father has been accused by his two minor children of indecent assault. The report of the forensic psychologist, the mother's expert consultant, finds the accusation to be true. Two expert (forensic) assessments by a public body are currently underway. In the civil part of the case, supervised contact is in effect, in the mother's presence.

Case 2: A father has been accused by his minor child of indecent assault. The report of the forensic psychologist, the mother's expert consultant, finds the accusation to be true. The main investigation has been completed, the child's accusation was confirmed following an expert (forensic) assessment during their examination by the investigating judge, who imposed restrictive conditions prohibiting contact. A dismissal ruling (acquittal decision) was issued by the judicial council.

Case 3: A father has been accused by his minor child of indecent assault. Initially a child psychiatrist recorded the accusation. The report of the forensic psychologist, the mother's expert consultant, finds the accusation to be true. For the criminal part of the case, he has been referred by the judicial council to stand trial at the Mixed Jury Court, and the trial date is pending. At both the civil and criminal levels, there is a ban on contact.

Case 4: A father has been accused by his minor child of indecent assault. The report of the forensic psychologist, the mother's expert consultant, finds the accusation to be true. The child has testified before the Attica General Police Directorate and at the "Children's House." The criminal part of the case is at the main investigation stage. In the civil part of the case, the court has imposed a ban on contact with his child.

Case 5: A father has been accused by his minor child of indecent assault. The report of the forensic psychologist, the mother's expert consultant, finds the accusation to be true. The child has testified before the Attica General Police Directorate. There is forensic medical evidence. The criminal part of the case is at the main investigation stage. In the civil part of the case, the court has imposed a ban on contact with his child.

Case 6: A father has been accused by his minor child of indecent assault. He had been acquitted by a ruling of the judicial council but the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) accepted the appeal for annulment of the ruling. The report of the forensic psychologist, the mother's expert consultant, finds the accusation to be true. The report was drawn up after the acquittal ruling. The accusation had initially been confirmed by an appointed child psychiatrist.

Case 7: A father has been accused by his minor child of indecent assault. The report of the forensic psychologist, the mother's expert consultant, finds the accusation to be true. An expert (forensic) assessment by a public body is pending. In the civil part of the case, the court had imposed supervised contact in an outdoor location, in the mother's presence. In a subsequent decision, the civil court has also ordered an expert (forensic) assessment.

Case 8: A father has been accused by his minor child of indecent assault. The report of the forensic psychologist, the mother's expert consultant, finds the accusation to be true. The court has imposed a ban on contact with his child and removal of parental responsibility.

Case 9: The forensic psychologist, the mother's expert consultant, did not carry out a full examination of the child, but during the assessment found indications of indecent assault by the father warranting investigation. An expert (forensic) assessment by a public body has been ordered. In the civil part of the case, the court has granted him contact without overnight stays.

Second group:

Case 10: A father has been accused by his minor child of indecent assault. The report of the forensic psychologist, the mother's expert consultant, finds the accusation to be true. There is also a social worker's report that includes the child's accusations. In the civil part of the case, the court has imposed a ban on contact with his child.

Case 11: A father has been accused by his minor child of indecent assault. The mother filed a criminal complaint and two expert (forensic) assessments by a public body were ordered, in which the child referred to indecent acts, but the conclusion was negative. The report of the forensic psychologist, the mother's expert consultant, finds the accusations to be true. Subsequently, the mother filed a supplementary complaint. A new expert (forensic) assessment was ordered, during which the civil court awarded custody of the child to the father, as the mother was tried in absentia. Most of the expert (forensic) assessment was carried out while the child was living with the father, whose behavior is under investigation. The expert (forensic) assessment has not yet been submitted.

Case 12: A father has been accused by his minor children of physical violence. The report of the forensic psychologist, the mother's expert consultant, finds the accusation to be true. The children have also been examined by a judge. The court has granted the father supervised contact, which is not taking place due to the children's refusal.

Case 13: A father had been referred for indecent assault against his minor children and was acquitted by the court. The forensic psychologist was not the mother's expert consultant in this case. She became involved later in relation to the father's request for contact, and therefore her report does not examine the accusations of indecent assault for which the father had been found not guilty. The civil court has rejected the father's request for contact.

Case 14: The case concerns the refusal of the teenage child to have contact with the father. The report of the forensic psychologist, the mother's expert consultant, finds indications of inappropriate paternal behavior.

Case 15: The report of the forensic psychologist does not concern a child but the child's mother. The civil court has imposed a restriction on contact for the father with his child.

Case 16: The forensic psychologist's report concerns the refusal of what was then a teenage child, and is now an adult, to have contact with the father.

From media coverage of the topic, it appears that there are other men with various cases who are in contact with the group of 16. At least two of these concern accusations by minor children of indecent assault and have been referred to stand trial at the Mixed Jury Court in the summer and autumn of 2023.

Therefore, based on our research, it is not true that the group of 16 men has been "acquitted" in the criminal cases. On the contrary, there has been only one acquittal, and that specific forensic psychologist was not involved in that case. A second case has a dismissal ruling and has not been referred to trial. Another case had a dismissal ruling, but this was overturned by the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos).

Of the remaining 13, those that have a criminal component are pending at various stages: some are at the preliminary examination stage, some are at the main investigation stage, in some the main investigation has been completed and the cases are before the judicial council, and some have been referred to trial.