"Our predictions of a sexual abuse allegation epidemic were correct", Families Apart Require Equality (FARE) spokes person Darryl Ward said today. He was referring to media reports today confirming his prediction of 8 February 2002 that 'there will be new epidemic of false allegations now that ACC has announced it will reintroduce lump sum payouts for alleged abuse when there is no proof required of any abuse having occurred' (see text of press release from that date below).

"Without trivialising the trauma of genuine victims, it is extremely suspicious that five times as many people now suddenly 'remember' being sexually abused now that ACC have reintroduced lump sum payouts for alleged abuse when there is no proof required of any abuse having occurred. Based on overseas experience where lump sum payments have been awarded for unproven allegations of sexual abuse, a sixty times increase in the number of allegations could ultimately happen in New Zealand."

"The myriad of bureaucrats, lawyers, councillors and psychologists who make much of their livings from the sexual abuse industry must think all their Christmases have come at once", concluded Ward.

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* see below text of our press release from 8 February 2002 *

Drop In Sexual Abuse Allegations No Surprise, But Sure To Rise Again

"The drop in reported sexual abuse allegations is no surprise, but they are sure to rise again, driven mostly by changes in Government policy", Families Apart Require Equality (FARE) spokes person Darryl Ward said today.

"Allegations of sexual abuse peaked in the early 1990's around the time of the Peter Ellis trial when the abuse industry contributed to a state of hysteria by making outrageous claims such as there being widespread practice of satanic abuse. Lump sum payouts by ACC helped fuel the hysteria. We know of numerous examples of cases of psychologists convincing children that they had been sexually abused by their fathers when they had not been. In some cases children who had exhibited signs of bed-wetting, a common childhood phenomenon, were asked such questions by psychologists as 'where did your father touch you', and when the children replied that they had not, the answers were ignored."

"At the same time, malicious false accusations of sexual abuse were a popular weapon in acrimonious Family Court proceedings. They ensured that one parent could easily eliminate any chance the other parent, usually the father, may have had of retaining reasonable custody or access to his children. However, these became less popular as the public grew wary of the outrageous claims of the abuse industry, and false accusations of domestic violence became a much quicker and more popular tool to eliminate a father's role in the family."

"However, accusations of sexual abuse will certainly rise again and there will be new epidemic of false allegations now that ACC has announced it will reintroduce lump sum payouts for alleged abuse when there is no proof required of any abuse having occurred."

"Canada is reeling from the injustice of a similar programme to compensate people alleging past abuse in institutions in Nova Scotia. A total of 25 abuse complaints had been filed alleging 9 government employees had been abusers. But when a plan was announced to financially compensate the victims, the number of alleged abuse complaints shot up to 1500, and the number of government employees accused to 400. Payouts reached $35 million and countless innocent government employees have had their lives and careers ruined."

"The odds of a payout under the new ACC lump sum scheme are certainly better than lotto", concluded Ward.

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