The public has been on high alert ever since the media put its spotlight on sexual abusers and child predators. But it is understandable given that most predators are somebody the child knows, such as their father, friend, relative, teacher or anybody else who has access to them. Unfortunately, even a false accusation that you sexually assaulted your stepchild may cause irreparable harm to your reputation.
Potential motivations for making a false sexual abuse accusation
There are several reasons why a child might lie about sexual abuse. Neglected children sometimes make up stories to get attention without fully understanding their consequences.
Children who are from broken homes, refuse to accept their parent’s remarriage or have a troubled relationship with their stepparent are known to act out. Accusing the stepparent of abuse is their way of cutting the stepparent out of the family.
While false accusations from children do happen, they are very uncommon. About 96% of the time, the sexual abuse accusation of a child is true. As a result, it is very important for anyone accused to identify the root cause of the behavior and build a strong defense.
Florida permits death penalty for child rapists
In Florida, sexual assault is any form of unwanted sexual contact against another person. It could be through attempted rape, nonconsensual touching or forcing the victim to perform a sexual act. Though sexual battery falls under sexual assault, it is a more specific type of offense that involves performing a sex act without the consent of the other person. In other words, rape.
Last April 2023, the state passed a controversial bill enforcing the death penalty for child rapists. With the new bill, performing sexual battery against anybody under the age of 12 is a capital crime. A conviction for sexual battery of a child aged 12 and below may result in life imprisonment or the death penalty.
As you can see, a sexual assault allegation warrants serious investigation. You have too much to lose, including your reputation and livelihood. As one of the trickiest accusations to fight, you might want to look for a lawyer with the skills and experience to handle such an emotionally charged matter.