Child Sexual Abuse Report

posted by Edward Nichols, MSW, LCSW-R on Feb 18

Though everyone claims to be searching for the “truth” when an allegations of child sexual abuse is made, it all plays out in an adversarial arena.  Those of us who advocate for justice and due process are, necessarily, also advocates for “objectivity”.  Certainly those who are falsely accused of child sexual abuse are outraged to learn that some investigator has an “agenda”, that she “assumed” their guilt, or that she did not check out any alternative hypotheses.  In a word, we believe that those involved in child sexual abuse allegations ought to be “objective”.  Or do we?

At this time there are at least three so-called “trial consultants” or “strategists” who were falsely accused of child sexual abuse and now hold themselves out for hire by those who are accused of child sexual abuse. Do we require the same “objectivity” from those we employ as we do from those who are employed against our interests?  We should.

The reason that we should is that an advocate’s judgment should be colored by nothing other than their training and experience.  Personal passion and vendettas have no place in the courtroom.  Moreover, all clients should be protected by knowing that the consultants that they hire are licensed in some recognized profession such as law, social work, psychology, etc.  There is no licensure for “trial consultants” or “strategists”.  There is certainly no licensure for having been accused of child sexual abuse.

Why is licensure important?  It is important because it was designed to protect the public. The various states have developed standards for the professions and a mechanism for lodging complaints.  When you hire a licensed professional you can check with their licensing board to see if there are any complaints.

I truly believe in the “team” approach to combating false allegations of child sexual abuse.  Expert consultants can play a critical role in one’s successfully defending these allegations.  I believe that everyone involved needs to be professionally competent and objective.  What do you think?