Group wants tough action over false abuse claims

Ali Bracken
07/11/2005

Deterrents against false allegations of child abuse are unworkable and the justice system is being exploited by a minority, according to the organisation Let Our Voices Emerge (Love).

It provides support for people, including those from religious orders, who say they have been wrongly accused of child abuse.

Following a vote at their agm in Dublin on Saturday, the organisation is to begin lobbying the Government to introduce harsher penalties for people who have made false allegations. They also want the Government to examine why section 5 (reporting false allegations) of the 1998 Act for Protection of Persons Reporting Child Abuse has to date never been enacted in a prosecution.

Health board statistics for 2000 found that 37.3 per cent of allegations of child abuse (physical, sexual, emotional and neglect) were confirmed, 9.4 per cent were deemed to be false and the remainder of cases were either found inconclusive or were still being investigated.

Some 40 people who had been accused of child abuse from various backgrounds, including religious sisters, Christian Brothers, priests, teachers, industrial schools employees, foster parents and medical workers attended Saturday's meeting.

Florence Horsman Hogan, co-founder of Love said that over a four-year period almost 5,000 people have had allegations made against them proven false. "That's a horrifically high figure and detracts valuable State and Garda time and resources from the real cases of abuse."

Following an allegation being proven false, those proven innocent can sue for defamation but because of the huge legal cost and the fact that the person must prove "malicious intent" this option is rarely, if ever, used, Ms Horsman Hogan said.

The Alliance Support Group, a voluntary organisation for people who have been abused as children in Ireland's State-run residential institutions, are supporting Love in their lobbying of the Government to introduce harsher penalties against those who make false allegations of child abuse.

"I've known people who have made false allegations to the Redress Board and they have left with no compensation," said Tom Hayes of the Alliance Support Group.

"But they weren't fined for making false allegations. They were able to just walk away."

? The Irish Times