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...
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 acros...