As a victim of 16 false allegations made over 16 years in the never-ending "War of the Roses," please allow me to explain my position. First, no one should ever have to endure the pain and surfering of domestic violence. Laws have been created and are there because women and children have been abused for years without any protections.

• MARCH 10, 2010

Today, there are many laws that protect "true victims." But what happens as, in this case, when a spouse or other relation makes an allegation and then chooses to recant? Many hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in resources and police man hours have been spent investigating these allegations. And what of the reputation of the accused; where is his recourse?

Many men spend many days and weeks and years incarcerated on allegations of domestic violence only to have their cases dismissed because the "victim" chooses not to cooperate with prosecutors. Does anyone out there remember the Tawana Brawley case? Millions of dollars were spent investigating her claims of sexual assault and abuse, and a commission concluded the event didn't happen? And the accuser gets to walk away scot-free and face no charges, criminal or civil for the lives and careers she destroyed?

(Brawley and her advisers, included the Rev. Al Sharpton, were on the losing end of defamation claims brought by those falsely accused of being among a group of men who abducted and raped Brawley over several days in Wappingers Falls in 1987. — Editor.)

Many men have lost jobs, homes, had their reputations ruined and irreparably damaged due to their spouses or close one's false allegations. There need to be laws in place that hold accusers of alleged abuse criminally and financially responsible when they recant, refuse to cooperate or are found to have fabricated the allegation for their own selfish gains — such as to wield leverage in a custody or divorce action or as a tool to remove an unwanted spouse or gain more money for child support.

While such laws may keep truly abused victims from reporting abuse, they are not the only victims when such allegations are proven to be false.

The writer, who lives in Carmel, is past president, Father's Rights Association of New York State.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20100310/OPINION/3100319/1076/OPINION01/Law%20needed%20to%20curb%20false%20abuse%20allegations

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