Mother lied about son's abuse, judge finds

The boy - not pictured - should now have a meaningful relationship with his father, the judge said

A mother made up allegations that her young son was sexually abused by his father in an effort to disrupt their relationship, a judge has ruled.

Oxford Family Court heard the woman had “actively encouraged” her son to tell school staff he had been inappropriately touched in what she said his father called a “special little game”.

Judge Eleanor Owens described the mother's evidence as “confused, and at times simply confusing”.

The man and woman, who started a relationship more than a decade ago, are now separated.

The court previously heard that police and social care investigations ended after finding “no information to suggest any form of sexual assault [had] taken place".

But a social worker told staff at the boy’s school that the mother “continued to probe… the situation when there might be nothing there”.

Later, the boy told his school’s safeguarding team that his mother had told him to say he had been abused.

But the member of staff he told said the boy was his “usual, chirpy self and very confident to share the information”, which lead them to believe he had been told to say it by his mother.

'Bad at remembering things'

The judge said the mother’s statement to her had been “remarkably brief in comparison to her oral evidence and considering the seriousness of the allegations”.

But the mother said she was “exhausted, a single mother without any help [from the father], overwhelmed and struggling” and conceded she was “really bad at remembering things”.

Judge Owens concluded the mother “caused emotional harm and risks [the boy’s] sense of identity" following disruption in his relationship with his father.

She said the mother now had to move on from findings she had made about her behaviour and “really support” the boy and his father having a meaningful relationship.

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