The child's accusation of sexual abuse during a divorce and custody struggle

A single case report is presented in which the children, after a marital separation of their parents, accused the father and paternal grandparents of sexually assaulting them during the time the parents and children were still living together. The case illustrates the dilemmas that their allegations created for the therapist who was responsible for the children's evaluation during the custody suit. The therapist's efforts to resolve these dilemmas are described, and the case is discussed in terms of the literature on folie á deux.