The Professional Alliance for Child Centered Safety (PACCS) will host an online research forum on October 26, 2025, at 5:00 PM EDT, featuring Janette Hermann, MSocSc, who will present her research on judicial decision-making in false sexual abuse allegations during family court cases. The session, titled "Judicial Decision-Making in False Sexual Abuse Allegations: Placing the Child at the Centre of Justice," addresses critical challenges and offers recommendations for child-centered justice.
Hermann's study, based on interviews with South African magistrates, explores how courts can remain child-centered despite biases, trauma, and complex evidence. Key themes include judicial bias, conflicting expert evidence, trauma-informed procedures, and strategies to restore the child's voice in legal processes. "Forensic social work plays a vital role in this process: bridging the gap between psychological truth and legal evidence, ensuring that every voice, especially that of the child, is both heard and protected," said Hermann. "The findings from this research serve as a reminder that justice is not only about outcomes but about the processes through which those outcomes are reached. By adopting a trauma-informed, evidence-based and collaborative approach, we can create systems that protect children, support families and uphold the integrity of the justice process."
Janette Hermann is a registered Social Worker and Forensic Practitioner at the Trauma-Informed and Child-Centred Private Practice, as well as at the Teddy Bear Foundation and National Centre for Child Protection in South Africa. Her expertise includes forensic child abuse assessments and trauma-informed interventions. Her academic research at the University of Cape Town focused on judicial decision-making in false sexual abuse allegations.
The virtual presentation and discussion will be held via Zoom. Registration is available at Zoom Meeting Registration. PACCS is actively seeking practitioners, advocates, and professionals committed to reform and child-centered practices. Benefits of membership include access to a curated research library, weekly Lunch & Learn sessions, monthly reunification events, and the Membership Circle App for networking and resource sharing. More information is available at www.paccs.global.
The Professional Alliance for Child Centered Safety is a 501(c)(3) practitioner-led network dedicated to reforming family court practices to prioritize child safety and wellbeing, connecting clinicians, attorneys, researchers, and advocates to collaborate on evidence-based, child-first reforms.
