Childs: Shattered Families, Stolen Childhoods: The Hidden Toll Of False Allegations

By Debra Childs, NH Journal

For three decades, I’ve worked with families navigating some of the most painful and complex life experiences imaginable. As executive director of Time To Put Kids First, I hear from parents across the country about how the child-protection and family-court systems affect their families.

One issue comes up time and time again: false allegations.

House Bill 1565, sponsored by Rep. James Spillane (R-Deerfield), offers New Hampshire a careful and responsible way to begin addressing a problem that is widely known among attorneys, judges, child-welfare professionals, parents, and families in our state—yet rarely spoken about openly.

Most victims of false allegations never speak out publicly, carrying the weight in silence—ashamed, terrified of retaliation, desperate to rebuild shattered lives. They dread the fallout rippling to everyone they love: their aging parents, siblings, their closest friends, and their coworkers. Above all, they shield their own children and grandchildren from the poison of those details—especially when the lies drag innocent kids into the nightmare, forcing them to endure invasive exams, interrogations, or worse.

I’ve looked into the eyes of a woman who’s spent years fighting to free her father from prison after more than a decade behind bars—imprisoned because she was coached as a child to repeat lies that put him there.

I’ve heard the desperate plea of a father begging the court not to subject his 18-month-old daughter to yet another traumatic rape kit, all because of vicious, horrific, and baseless accusations.

These are not isolated horror stories. They reflect a serious and recurring problem hidden behind thousands of reports later labeled “unfounded.” And until bills like HB1565 force accountability for malicious lies, families will keep paying the price—in broken trust, lost years, and innocence stolen. A false report is not simply a mistake on a form. There are consequences far beyond the courtroom. They teach children that lying can be a tool to get what they want. But far more devastating, they instill fear and uncertainty in the developing mind of a trusting, naive, and impressionable child. They can launch traumatic investigations, disrupt a child’s home and school life, isolate them from a parent, and permanently damage reputations—even when the allegation is later deemed unsubstantiated. The damage lasts a lifetime.

False claims also harm the very people our system exists to protect. When they become common or widely discussed, real victims of abuse suffer. Those who truly need help may hesitate to come forward out of fear they will not be believed—or their situation dismissed as “just another accusation.”

False claims are a misuse of the legal system and consume limited resources that should be focused on children who are truly in need. A system overwhelmed by fabricated or malicious reports becomes less able to respond quickly and effectively to genuine harm.

Approximately 45 percent of reports to DCYF (New Hampshire Department of Children, Youth and Families) are not accepted for full investigation because they do not meet the criteria for suspected abuse or neglect. Of those investigated, about 87 percent are classified as unfounded. Recent data and historical trends both show that New Hampshire has one of the lowest substantiation rates nationally: only 7 percent of investigated cases are proven true or supported by sufficient evidence.

It’s not about fewer reports—it’s about honest ones. HB1565 deters intentional falsehoods, so we can direct every resource to the children who truly need protection. It creates accountability for a person who knowingly makes a false report of child abuse or neglect, establishing a misdemeanor offense for intentionally providing false information, and it allows a person harmed by an intentional false report to seek civil relief.

The key word in this bill is “knowingly.”

Being wrong is not a crime. A report that cannot be substantiated is not a crime. A concerned neighbor, teacher, doctor, or family member who genuinely believes a child may be in danger remains fully protected. HB1565 applies only when someone knows the information is false and reports it anyway.

The legal standard is intentionally high. Prosecutors would have to prove not only that the allegation was false, but that the person making the report knew it was false at the time. This is a difficult standard to meet—and it should be. Honest reporters have nothing to fear under this bill.

It does not weaken mandatory reporting laws. It does not reduce protections for children. It does not discourage people from reporting genuine concerns. In fact, the bill clearly preserves full legal immunity for anyone who reports suspected abuse or neglect in good faith.

We have the chance to send a clear message: protect genuine reporters while finally drawing a firm line against those who weaponize the system to inflict harm.

New Hampshire Legislators should pass this thoughtful, narrowly tailored bill. Our families—and especially our children—deserve nothing less.

Debra Childs is executive director at Time to Put Kids First and a former NH House Deputy Chief of Staff. She wrote this for NHJournal.com.

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.