False Allegations by Andrew Vachss

First published in 1996

False Allegations isn't the best of the Burke novels but it might be the most interesting. Taking on the serious problem of false allegations of sexual assault, Vachss provides a mountain of evidence to establish that accusations of sexual assault are too often false, that false accusations are incredibly destructive even if the truth is eventually revealed, and that false accusations are very difficult to overcome since the accusation itself (if believed) is all the proof the law requires. Of course, every false accusation harms the real victims of sexual assault by fueling the skepticism they encounter when they report the crimes.

A woman with a "recovered memory" of being a sexual assault victim is represented by a lawyer named Kite. Kite hires Burke to determine whether the accused, Brother Jacob, actually assaulted the woman when she was a child. Kite makes his living exposing false allegations of abuse, and is intent on developing a rigorous investigative technique that will become the gold standard of abuse investigations. To have credibility, however, he must conclude that at least one allegation is true, and he wants Burke to assure that the victim he wants to represent in a suit against Brother Jacob is telling the truth. The novel tracks Burke's thorough investigation. Of course, I won't reveal the ending, but I can say that it's both clever and unexpected.

Having said that, I viewed the ending as something of a cop-out (for reasons I can't discuss without spoiling it for those who haven't read the novel). Moreover, Vachss is ultimately an advocate for abused children, not for falsely accused abusers, and the novel can be justly criticized for its unsupported assertion that "recovered memories" are often worthy of belief.  Still, I appreciated Vachss' relatively evenhanded assessment of the nature and causes of false sexual assault allegations, and (as always) I enjoyed his spare, razor-sharp writing style. I also enjoyed Burke's interaction with the usual friends and colorful cronies who populate the Burke novels. This novel lacks the dramatic tension of the best Burke novels, but it's worth reading, if only for its educational value.

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