The Professional Alliance for Child Centered Safety (PACCS) will host a virtual research forum on October 26, 2025, featuring Janette Hermann, MSocSc, who will present her study 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," aims to address critical challenges and offer recommendations for child-centered justice.
Hermann's research, based on interviews with South African magistrates, explores how courts can maintain a child-centered focus despite biases, trauma, and complex evidence. Key themes identified include judicial bias, conflicting expert evidence, trauma-informed procedures, and strategies to restore the child's voice in legal processes. The study underscores the importance of forensic social work in bridging psychological truth and legal evidence, ensuring that every voice, especially that of the child, is heard and protected.
“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 Janette Hermann, MSocSc, Criminal Justice Social Work. “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 extensive expertise includes forensic child abuse assessments and trauma-informed interventions. Hermann’s academic research at the University of Cape Town focused on judicial decision-making in false sexual abuse allegations, offering vital insights into safeguarding children's rights.
The event will take place virtually on October 26, 2025, at 5:00 PM EDT. Registration is available via Zoom Meeting Registration.
PACCS is actively seeking practitioners, advocates, and professionals committed to reform and child-centered practices. As a founding member, benefits include access to a curated research library, weekly Lunch & Learn sessions, monthly reunification events, and the Membership Circle App for networking and resource sharing. Interested individuals can join the PACCS community at www.paccs.global to become a founding member or register as a new member.
The Professional Alliance for Child Centered Safety (PACCS) is a 501(c)(3) practitioner-led network dedicated to reforming family court practices to prioritize child safety and wellbeing. PACCS connects clinicians, attorneys, researchers, and advocates to collaborate on evidence-based, child-first reforms.
