False accusations: genesis and prevention

Professionals engaged in trust relationships can become the target of false allegations in courts and ethics committees. An allegation is considered false when it is not possible to establish a direct and clear causal link between actions (or inactions) of the accused and damage sustained by the accuser. Long-term psychotherapy allows a unique setting to observe and document the formation of false allegations in slow motion over time. Expert witness work can be likened to a detailed analysis of a battery of psychological tests in which a profile of abusive experiences spanning a lifetime can be constructed to demonstrate the likelihood that the current allegation is false. In such instances the accuser confuses in transference the perpetrator of past abuse with the person in the present trust relationship. Guidelines for prevention of false accusations in professional practice are suggested.