photo: C.P.Storm

Divorces are often very messy procedures in Utah. There are strong feelings that lead to bad decisions such as false child abuse allegations. In the case of child abuse the urge to protect children is often stronger then deeming the accused innocent until proven guilty. This makes child abuse a crucial weapon in divorce cases. These false accusation may stem from real facts such as a child acting suspicious or anxious, behavior that can easily be created by the divorce. However, recently the majority of false accusation are made to hurt the opposing divorcee, or gain custody of the children. Young child often fall victim to the lies of their parents and can easily convince a health care professional or therapist that the abuse did in fact occur. Even if a defendant is found innocent of these false accusations there could be dire consequences to their reputation, job, societal connections, and they shunned by their children and by others with children. If you find yourself intertwined in a case of false child abuse accusations you must acknowledge the gravity of you situation (the related laws were created to protect children first and foremost). You should not try to handle the charges on your own, no matter how innocent you feel you are. You should not speak to police, or anyone about the situation except for your attorney who should be an experienced lawyer who knows how to defend these type of cases.