Is your spouse a toxic individual who will stop at nothing to gain the upper hand in your custody battle? Is your custody battle leading to more and more extreme allegations from your spouse that go to the very heart of your ability to parent and your moral fiber?
Watch out: You may be the target of false allegations of sexual abuse involving your children.
How often false allegations of sexual abuse involving children get tossed around is a huge subject of scholarly debate. Over the years, essentially two things have emerged as true: Most allegations of sexual abuse are true but a significant number — up to 6% by some estimations — of allegations are false.
The sad thing is that many of the children who make false allegations against a parent really are the victims — of the other parent’s “coaching.” Sometimes a narcissistic or manipulative parent cares so little for a child’s mental and physical wellbeing that they view the child as nothing more than a pawn in their pursuit of the “winning” hand in the divorce settlement.
What can you do if you are falsely accused of sexual abuse with a child?
1. Realize that the authorities aren’t blind.
Many hospital workers, social workers and judges are aware that false allegations happen during hostile divorces and custody battles. No matter what your spouse is saying, you’ll have a chance to prove yourself later.
2. Say nothing to aggravate the situation.
Make no statements to the police — especially sarcastic ones. Whatever you say will be taken literally and come back to haunt you.
3. Control your anger.
Yes, it’s normal to be furious. Remember, however, that the authorities have to take every allegation seriously. (If your child really were being abused, you’d want them to take your allegations seriously, right?)
Let the police do their job — but assert your right to legal representation immediately. In the meantime, don’t give up and do whatever the court asks of you in order to prove your innocence.