By A Former Police Investigator, TCW
This is the latest in a series of articles we are publishing in TCW designed to challenge one of the most powerful orthodoxies shaping family justice across the Western world, an orthodoxy that is harming children and parents alike. You can read the first four here. Today’s article shows the importance of not treating allegations as facts.
I WORKED in the Domestic Violence Unit of the police and now support people facing allegations and investigations. I’ve sat with frightened victims, listened to accounts of violence, coercion and control, seen bruises, injuries and fear. I’ve witnessed the devastating impact that genuine abuse has on individuals and families.
This is precisely why I feel compelled to speak about something that appears to be an uncomfortable subject for many people to discuss: false allegations. It’s not a popular subject and in today’s climate even raising concerns about false allegations can result in accusations that you’re somehow undermining genuine victims. Those who know me know nothing could be further from the truth.
The reality is that both things can exist at the same time. Genuine victims deserve protection, support and justice. Equally, innocent people deserve protection from false allegations that can destroy their lives.
During my policing career, I became increasingly uncomfortable with what I was seeing. Domestic abuse investigations should be focused on evidence. Investigate thoroughly, gather facts and follow the evidence wherever it leads. Gradually, I became concerned that the emphasis on truth was changing and that the narrative appeared to be becoming more important than the evidence.
The issue I had was simple. An allegation is not evidence. An allegation is the starting point of an investigation, not the conclusion. Over time I became increasingly aware that false allegations were not as rare as many imagine. Some were motivated by anger, jealousy, revenge or family court disputes.
Human beings are complex, emotional creatures. When relationships break down, people can behave in ways they never imagined they would and unfortunately, when allegations are weaponised, the consequences can be catastrophic.
What concerns me most is where those allegations often end up. People tend to think about allegations in terms of police investigations, but from what I’ve seen, some of the greatest damage happens afterwards in family court.