While 5-year-old daughter on "visitation" with registered sex offender dad, dad accuses mom of sexual abuse and has DHS take custody (Guernsey, Iowa)

Let me see if I got this story straight. Dad ROBERT NINO, a convicted sex offender, abducts the child during visitation (why the hell a convicted sex offender has visitation with a 5-year-old is not explained or even noted), then accuses the mom of sexual abuse. Dad then manages to get DHS to take the child away from Mom and put the child in foster care. Note that DHS refused to return the child to the Mom, even after the accusation was proved to be false. Not until the media publicized the matter. (Kudos to the Cedar Rapids Gazette for taking this on.)

And Dad's credibility in this is what? Zero? Less than zero? And why does this guy have any visitation at all given his track record of sexual abuse?

Fathers rights people accuse moms of being pathological liars all the time when it comes to allegations of abuse. So why is the word of a convicted sex offender father suddenly golden? A bit of a double standard?

What does the research actually say about this matter? Actually, according to a major Canadian study, FATHERS are more likely to fabricate false accusations than mothers. Not that the mainstream media will tell you this very often.

http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/docs/Trocme.pdf

Trocme, N., & Bala, N. (2005). False allegations of abuse and neglect when parents separate. Child Abuse & Neglect, 29(12), 1333.

Abstract: The 1998 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-98) is the first national study to document the rate of intentionally false allegations of abuse and neglect investigated by child welfare services in Canada. This paper provides a detailed summary of the characteristics associated with intentionally false reports of child abuse and neglect within the context of parental separation.
Method: A multistage sampling design was used, first to select a representative sample of 51 child welfare service areas across Canada. Child maltreatment investigations conducted in the selected sites during the months of October-December 1998 were tracked, yielding a final sample of 7,672 child maltreatment investigations reported to child welfare authorities because of suspected child abuse or neglect.
Results: Consistent with other national studies of reported child maltreatment, CIS-98 data indicate that more than one-third of maltreatment investigations are unsubstantiated, but only 4% of all cases are considered to be intentionally fabricated. Within the subsample of cases wherein a custody or access dispute has occurred, the rate of intentionally false allegations is higher: 12%. Results of this analysis show that neglect is the most common form of intentionally fabricated maltreatment, while anonymous reporters and noncustodial parents (usually fathers) most frequently make intentionally false reports. Of the intentionally false allegations of maltreatment tracked by the CIS-98, custodial parents (usually mothers) and children were least likely to fabricate reports of abuse or neglect.
Conclusions: While the CIS-98 documents that the rate of intentionally false allegations is relatively low, these results raise important clinical and legal issues, which require further consideration.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-ia-dhslawsuit,0,4574935.story

Mother sues DHS for placing child in foster care

5:22 p.m. CST, January 6, 2010

GUERNSEY, Iowa - A Johnson County woman is suing the Iowa Department of Human Services for placing her 5-year-old daughter in foster care based on a false allegation.

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, 20-year-old Jessica Wilbur of Guernsey contends DHS staff placed her child in foster care based on document signed by the child's noncustodial father, Robert Nino, a convicted sex offender.

Nino reportedly took the girl for a weekend visit, did not return her, and filed a false sexual abuse complaint against Wilbur. Nino then signed a voluntary foster care placement agreement, and the child spent two weeks in foster care.

The abuse allegation was deemed to be false, but Wilbur's attorney says the department refused to return the child until after an article about the case ran in The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette.