Falsely Accused

 Most everyone would agree that the crimes of child abuse and sexual abuse are among the most abhorrent of all. In our society, people who commit these heinous acts are placed in the same status as murderers and rightly so. 

However, is it not just as bad to falsely accuse someone of committing these horrible acts of trauma and societal taboo? When someone uses allegations as a weapon of revenge or power against an innocent person, are they just as horrible as a person who would actually molest a child?  What could someone do to possibly deserve  being labeled  and ruined in such a way?

The reason I ask is because it has happened to innocent people. There are some renowned cases, such as the McMartin Preschool staff, who were eventually exonerated after being put through years of hell.

Many of these investigations are ignited by parents seeking sole custody of children or attempting to get back at the other parent for leaving the relationship.  ( Woody Allen/ Mia Farrow).

Other, more local and lesser known cases have been started by feuding friends and neighbors reporting each other to social services for allegedly abusing or neglecting children.

Should someone accused of harming a child be thoroughly investigated? Yes. Should they suffer damage, lose their jobs or pay huge legal costs if there is not a substantial amount of evidence against them? No.  

Why shouldn't the backgrounds of the accusing adults be heavily investigated also?  It could be easy to make an accusation, coerce a child into going along with it and planting pornographic evidence. There needs to be safeguards and further due process in place for these situations because of the easily ruinous nature of a false allegation.  Police investigators, courts and social services should be required to look at all the dynamics and social circumstances surrounding a case.

Perpetrators who truly do harm children should absolutely  be caught and punished to the full extent of the law.   The very idea of what  they do sickens most decent people and rightly so. But, those manipulators who are aware of how society cannot stand or tolerate abusers can and will use that to their advantage and happily ruin someone's life to exact their petty vindictiveness or get what they want. It is a powerful weapon that is placed in the wrong hands sometimes by our social services organizations and judiciary systems. 
A true victim of abuse needs to be protected, but so does an accused innocent.  The system has to change.  The media has to stop fueling the stories, employers need to look at both sides thoroughly  and the accusers should be held accountable. 

Don’ts and Dos when Falsely Accused of Child Abuse or Neglect


http://www.expertlaw.com/library/domestic_violence/false_accusations.html


 http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mcmartin/mcmartin.html