Wouldn’t it be great if every single divorce was finalized without a hitch? The truth is that divorce can be an emotional process, especially when children are involved, and it can quickly become complicated. In some cases, spouses will make false claims about the other parent in an attempt to sway a judge to see things their way.
Accusations of abuse or sexual assault are taken very seriously in child custody situations, and can be very damaging not just to a parent’s reputation. A father and surgeon from Fargo was recently on the receiving end of accusations that he gave his wife a powerful sedative and then sexually assaulted her. He was even charged in criminal court, and could have lost custody of his three children as a result.
The criminal court found him not guilty of the charges, including gross sexual imposition and reckless endangerment. The father said that the wife had pursued these claims in order to gain custody of the children. She argued that a not guilty verdict didn’t equate to innocence, and thus she should still have custody.
The district court judge presiding over the custody dispute disagreed with the wife. “The court’s findings clearly indicate it considered the evidence presented at the divorce trial and determined her allegations were not credible,” the judge wrote in the opinion. The judge awarded custody of the three children to the father.
False accusations are a very serious matter, whether they are true or false. Fathers in Minneapolis that are dealing with or could face this type of issue should seek the counsel of a family law attorney immediately.
Source: Crookston Times, “Court: acquitted Fargo surgeon should keep kids,” May 1, 2014