Risk assessments by expert witnesses appointed by the Family Court of Australia (FCA), and as informed by findings of any investigations by police and child protection agencies, play a critical role in the adjudication of custody disputes involving allegations of child sex abuse. This study focuses on the contribution made by these independent advisors as documented in the FCA trial transcripts of a sample of 62 such cases in the period 2012–2016. Analysis reveals that those responsible for assessing risk shared a concern for an emerging pattern of applicant responsibility for systems abuse, in conjunction with emotional abuse, as a significant child protection issue. It also raises issues for the Court when there are multiple risk assessments coming from experts who bring different disciplinary and organisational perspectives. As an exploratory study, the implications of these findings need to be viewed through the lens of protecting the best interests of the child.

中文翻译：

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评估监护权纠纷中的儿童性虐待指控

由澳大利亚家庭法院 (FCA) 任命的专家证人进行风险评估，并根据警方和儿童保护机构的任何调查结果提供信息，在涉及儿童性虐待指控的监护权纠纷的裁决中发挥关键作用。本研究重点关注这些独立顾问在 2012-2016 年期间对 62 个此类案例样本的 FCA 试验记录中所做出的贡献。分析表明，那些负责评估风险的人都担心申请人对系统滥用以及情感虐待的新责任模式，这是一个重要的儿童保护问题。当有来自不同学科和组织观点的专家进行多项风险评估时，它也会向法院提出问题。