Elusive Innocence review two

It comes highly recommended as “essential reading for any parent, lawyer, or social worker involved in divorce or child custody disputes”. It is unashamedly American. The focus is entirely about familial abuse. Accusations of child abuse are skyrocketing yet, as a 1998 (USA) study established, 71% were unfounded and false, created only for leverage in protracted divorce cases, custody battles, and money disputes. The consequences are drastic; severe prison sentences, destroyed reputations, lost jobs and worse -- lost children. Elusive Innocence is a roadmap for innocent victims to escape the nightmare.

The first part of the book reviews the development of child abuse thinking through a series of case histories. Whilst this helps the reader who is familiar with the subject of false abuse allegations to identify with the text the accounts are quite harrowing. This is not a book for bedtime … it sets out to describe how a relationship can develop from courtship, marriage, to security, insecurity, break-up and quite often revenge. It deals with the issue of sexual allegations in divorce (so called SAID cases) in some detail. It describes the dynamics involved in an informative and constructive way. The portrayal of break up, retribution and revenge are very real. The book goes on to deal with the emotionally damaging effects of the investigative process and the dangers of associated provision of family support and counselling. The author is scathing in his attack on therapists and what he calls the lack of objective investigation and ‘fact finding’.

The second part of the book examines the problem from the point of view of the accused. In a very telling phrase the author talks of the falsely accused of having always to fight a phantom ghost - there being no evidence that can be touched or seen.

Where the book is very strong is that it powerfully describes those feelings which the falsely accused, and those close to them, feel when wrongly accused - the numbing shock, the deep sense of hurt, the loss, the anger, the exhaustion and depression. Why me? The book suggests that the best way to combat these feelings is to avoid becoming isolated. It emphasises the need to band together to fight the problem, and the need to draw strength from each other.

The book also looks at the issue from the perspective of the accuser and the reported victim of abuse - usually a young child or a teenager. It provides some useful insight into common characteristics and demonstrates how agencies can sometimes manipulate hurting families and create false accusations. Perhaps the most useful part of the book for FACT members is the section on ‘fighting back’. It provides some useful survival strategies and some good advice to those accused of abuse in terms of what to do and what not to do.

Unfortunately for UK readers the legal position described is not always relevant to the UK situation. The book however is quite strong on debunking a lot of doubtful psychological theory much favoured by child abuse practitioners.

Elusive Innocence concludes with a useful summary of problems and solutions. In what might be seen as a prophetic statement the author warns against the automatic acceptance of child abuse experts. I doubt very much though if Dr Meadows or Dr Camille San Lazaro will have read it!