The Truth Won’t Set You Free: False Allegations and Child Abuse
This workshop examines the research showing that truly fabricated child maltreatment allegations are rare. Participants learn to distinguish fabricated claims from suggestive questioning and coerced recantations, and to avoid premature conclusions that undermine investigations.
Suggested Audience: Law enforcement, prosecutors, CPS, and forensic interviewers, with some value for other MDT members
Full Description: Members of the public and even many child protection professionals wrongly assume that false child maltreatment allegations are prolific, but the reality is that genuinely fabricated allegations are statistically rare. This workshop will review research on the rarity of false allegations, explore known case studies of genuinely fabricated claims, and equip participants to distinguish between intentionally fabricated claims, suggestive questioning and its limits, and coerced recantations. Finally, the session details the significant risks of prematurely classifying disclosures as false, and the necessity of rigorous corroborative processes to prevent investigative error.
Learning Objectives:
Summarize research on the prevalence of false allegations in child sexual abuse cases.
Examine case studies of genuinely fabricated claims to review characteristics of false narratives.
Assess the significant investigative and child victim safety risks associated with prematurely classifying an allegation as false.
Speaker(s): Dr. Timothy Saar
