Allegations of abuse: the need for responsible practice

The current UK child protection process has evolved reactively out of scandals. This has led to a culture of support and empathy with those making allegations of abuse while offering no robust means by which false claims can be recognised. Information has been collected from 22 families who became subject to criminal or civil proceedings when a female adolescent or young adult developed a mental health problem. The resultant outcomes were mostly disastrous, for the young person and the family. In every case there was no evidence supporting the allegations of abuse, and substantive evidence they were false, yet this crucial information had not been sought. Each of the 22 families complained that enquiries began from a presumption of guilt. The families documented common and recurring problems, which led them to feel alienated from professionals. Claims of innocence were taken as evidence of guilt, and information was interpreted in a manner that fitted only this presumption while factual evidence to the contrary was ignored. The reasons underlying this professional behaviour are considered. Among the presumed 'victims', outcomes were positively correlated with the level of residual contact between the alleged victim and their family, especially the mother. However, this did not hold true in cases where allegations of abuse arose in the context of an acrimonious parental relationship breakdown. There were no good outcomes where parents were completely excluded. It is not clear that families and alleged 'victims' will fare any better under recently revised guidance and framework.