Few acts in family law harm a child more than fabricated allegations of sexual abuse. Even when proven false, the process can traumatize the child through invasive questioning, medical exams, and disrupted contact with a safe parent.

In one case, a parent took a young child for seven separate genital examinations by five different medical professionals— numerous times making comments meant to implicate the other parent in sexual abuse. These examinations began just two days after the accusing parent had been served with a restraining order for secretly planting a recording device in the other parent’s home.

Over the following months, two CPS investigations were opened due to the accusations; both were closed as inconclusive. The judge later stated that the sexual-abuse claims were not credible. Yet the accusing parent faced no consequences—custody remained 50/50, and the targeted parent received no reimbursement for the substantial legal and expert costs incurred defending against the false claims.

Research shows that 10–15 percent of abuse allegations in custody disputes are unsubstantiated or deliberately false (Oates & Dreyfus, Child Abuse Review, 2016). False claims cause measurable harm: children subjected to repeated medical exams report elevated cortisol levels and persistent distrust toward both parents (Everson & Boat, Child Maltreatment, 2018).

BCI believes that:

• False accusations should be formally recognized as psychological abuse.
• Courts must impose sanctions—including fee reimbursement or custody modification—when intentional fabrication is proven.
• Professionals must document and report patterns of malicious reporting to protect children from repetitive, unnecessary examinations.

Why this matters for children
When courts ignore false accusations, they normalize manipulation and retraumatize the child. Protecting children means protecting them from all forms of abuse—including weaponized allegations.