The Professional Alliance for Child Centered Safety (PACCS) will host a virtual event featuring Janette Hermann, MSocSc, presenting her research on handling false sexual abuse allegations in custody cases. The session, titled "Judicial Decision-Making in False Sexual Abuse Allegations: Placing the Child at the Centre of Justice," examines critical challenges and offers recommendations for child-centered justice. Hermann's study, based on interviews with South African magistrates, explores how courts can remain child-centered despite biases, trauma and complex evidence.
Key themes from the research include judicial bias, conflicting expert evidence, trauma-informed procedures and strategies to restore the child's voice in legal processes. The findings provide insights into safeguarding children's rights during complex family court proceedings. "Forensic social work plays a vital role in this process: bridging the gap between psychological truth and legal evidence, ensuring that every voice, especially that of the child, is both heard and protected," said Janette Hermann, MSocSc, Criminal Justice Social Work. "The findings from this research serve as a reminder that justice is not only about outcomes but about the processes through which those outcomes are reached."
Hermann emphasized that by adopting a trauma-informed, evidence-based and collaborative approach, professionals can create systems that protect children, support families and uphold the integrity of the justice process. Her academic research at the University of Cape Town focused specifically on judicial decision-making in false sexual abuse allegations, offering vital insights for legal and social work professionals. The virtual event will take place on October 26, 2025, at 5:00 PM EDT and will include both presentation and discussion components.
Registration is available through https://www.paccs.global. PACCS is a 501(c)(3) practitioner-led network dedicated to reforming family court practices to prioritize child safety and wellbeing, connecting clinicians, attorneys, researchers, and advocates to collaborate on evidence-based, child-first reforms. This event represents an important opportunity for professionals to engage with research that addresses systemic challenges in family court proceedings where false allegations can have devastating consequences for children and families.
The research matters because it addresses a critical gap in how courts handle sensitive cases involving children, particularly when false allegations of sexual abuse arise during custody disputes. These situations present unique challenges where children's wellbeing can become secondary to adversarial legal processes. Hermann's work emphasizes that judicial decision-making must prioritize the child's perspective and psychological safety, even when allegations are determined to be false. The implications extend beyond individual cases to systemic reform of family court practices.
By focusing on trauma-informed approaches and strategies to amplify children's voices in legal proceedings, this research offers practical guidance for creating more equitable and protective justice systems. The recommendations could influence how courts balance competing interests while ensuring children remain at the center of decision-making processes. For professionals working in family law, social work, and child advocacy, these insights provide evidence-based approaches to navigating complex cases where children's rights and wellbeing are at stake.
