A practical approach to sexual abuse allegations: Netherlands Expert Committee for Equivocal Sexual Abuse Allegations

Abstract

Equivocal sexual abuse allegations are those in which the details of the alleged offence(s) are uncertain. The circumstances are ambiguous, there is limited evidence, and it is unclear how police investigations should proceed. This article discusses the challenges such allegations pose for police, prosecution, judges and mental health experts, and advocates for the use of multidisciplinary expert opinion during the investigation. The practical application of this approach by the Netherlands Expert Committee for Equivocal Sexual Abuse Allegations (LEBZ) is described, which has assessed over 900 cases since its inception in 1999. The LEBZ approach represents a significant innovation in police and criminal justice responses to equivocal allegations of sexual assault, which warrants consideration in other jurisdictions.

Key words:

• expert testimony
• investigative psychology
• multidisciplinary approach
• sexual abuse allegations

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of Associate Professor Troy McEwan, Professor Rolf Kleber and research associates Nikki van Ewijk and Jan-Martin Winter, who provided useful feedback on earlier drafts of this manuscript.

Ethical standards

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Declaration of conflicts of interest

Nicole Nierop has declared no conflicts of interest

Paul van den Eshof has declared no conflicts of interest

Cleo Brandt has declared no conflicts of interest