False Allegations
How often do they happen and what is the cost of this skepticism?
It is well established—through the work of experts such as Anna Salter—that all sex offenders engage in deception. They lie and deny because denial functions as a protective mechanism. While false allegations are a serious matter, the far greater problem is that most perpetrators walk free. Numerous studies show that the rate of false allegations of sexual violence is between 2% and 10%, meaning that the overwhelming majority of reports are true.
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Sexual violence itself is tragically common. According to the CDC, over half of women and almost one in three men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes.
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When clergy or church leaders respond to allegations with skepticism, the impact on survivors is devastating. Suggesting—whether explicitly or implicitly—that an allegation may be false sends a signal to the community. Parishioners may follow that lead, shunning or disbelieving the survivor, causing deep and lasting harm.
Psychologist Jennifer Freyd, in Blind to Betrayal, explains why people often “fool themselves” into doubting, more generally. Humans sometimes survive psychologically by not seeing what they actually see—a dynamic intensified when leaders lack education about abuse or, in some cases, act with willful corruption (see prophetic critiques in Ezekiel 34 and Jeremiah 23).
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Core abuse dynamics—such as those involving a person in power using deception, manipulation, and targeting the vulnerable—are not only well-documented in academic fields but are also addressed in Scripture (e.g., Matthew 12 and 18).
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Orthodox Christian laity have much to learn about clergy sexual abuse and the call to prioritize the vulnerable. Clergy can lead this transformation by incorporating into sermons and teachings both the biblical accounts of abuse (e.g., rape of Tamar) and the examples from Christ’s own ministry in which he spoke out against the abuse. By doing so, communities become more aware of the reality of abuse and better equipped to respond with compassion.
Resources
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National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC): The NSVRC is a leading organization that provides information and statistics on sexual violence, including fact sheets on the rarity of false reports. You can find more info. (https://www.nsvrc.org/publications/false-reporting-overview)
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Lisak, D., et al. (2010): A frequently cited study, "False Allegations of Sexual Assault: An Analysis of Ten Years of Reported Cases," found a false allegation rate of 5.9% and concluded the rate is between 2% and 10% when considering previous research.
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The Journal of Interpersonal Violence is an academic journal that has published numerous studies that establish and support the 2% to 10% statistic.
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Over half of women and almost one in three men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes. (https://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/about/index.html#:~:text=Over%20half%20of%20women%20and,1)