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False allegations

According to relevant research, false allegations of child sexual abuse are rare. It has been documented that child victims of sexual abuse tend to repress their traumatic experience and, when they do speak about it, to present it as less severe than it actually is — rather than exaggerating or inflating it. At the same time, relevant studies have found no evidence that it is possible to instill in a child such a deeply traumatic experience as sexual abuse when it has not actually happened to them, while the supposed possibility of constructing "false memories" has been thoroughly debunked.

propublica.org

Distrust toward victims of domestic violence by expert consultants in custody cases without proper training

The Family Courts in Colorado started 14 years ago appointing expert consultants in custody cases, under a private law framework, to substitute for public officials. The cost, which is borne by the litigants, can reach tens of thousands of dollars. This has created a situation of complete opacity, with children as the victims, who very often end up in the custody of the abusive parent.

Hannah Dreyfus
23/07/2023
xyonline.net

False allegations of sexual abuse and domestic violence: the data

Most allegations of domestic violence and sexual abuse are made in good faith. False allegations are rare.

Michael Flood
23/07/2023
leadershipcouncil.org

Are Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse More Likely to Be False in the Context of Custody Disputes?

An overview of studies on the validity of child sexual abuse allegations in the context of custody disputes. There is no evidence to support the claim that women fabricate false allegations of child sexual abuse in order to take revenge on their ex-spouses and deprive them of contact with their children.

The Leadership Council
23/07/2023
leadershipcouncil.org

How often do children's allegations of abuse turn out to be false?

According to relevant research, false allegations of child sexual abuse are rare. It has been documented that children who are victims of sexual abuse tend to repress their traumatic experience and, when they do talk about it, tend to present it as less severe than it actually is — rather than exaggerating or overstating it.

The Leadership Council
23/07/2023
International Society for the Study of Traume and Dissociation, www.isst-d.org

The Rise and Fall of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation (FMSF)

An analysis of the issue of "false memory implantation" and its connection to the defense of individuals accused of child sexual abuse.

Kate McMaugh, MHSc & Warwick Middleton, MD
23/07/2023
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse

The Frequency of False Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse: A Critical Review

A recent study from the USA, which examines a wide range of other studies and their methodology, and concludes that the rate of unfounded allegations of child sexual abuse is small but cannot be determined with the available data.

William O’Donohue, Caroline Cummings & Brendan Willis
22/07/2023

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