What is the crime here?

[Curious_in_CA]

What is the name of your state? California

A couple who are a longtime family friends spoke with me last night about an apalling situation. They have an adult daughter with 2 kids, and thier daughter has been on/off drugs since age 14. She has always been abusive to her parents, who continually give her money, pay for housing, etc. for the benefit of thier grandchildren.

I have always been critical of how they put up with her antics. She's trashed thier home, cars, multiple rent homes, treats her own children badly - but her parents turn the other cheak.

Last night I found out why: For the past 20 years, she has threatened to go to the authorities and tell them her father molested her once when she was 10 yrs. old. She has repeatedly used this to get money, babysitting, food, etc. over the years. The charges are not true, but now she is telling her children that her dad molested her and they can no longer see them.

They are hearbroken and want to report this situation to authorities.

This is not a custody issue; it's just they feel helpless to intervene for thier grandchildren.

What is thier legal recourse for such false claims?

 

[stephenk]

is she only threatening her parents or does she tell other people that her dad molested her? if she is only threatening her parents, then their best response would be to cut her off from their money. call her bluff.


if they really want to help their grandkids they should start reporting her abuse to the police and CPS.

 

[Curious_in_CA]

She only threatens her parents personally and in private, usually after they refuse to give her what she wants.

The thing the parents fear the most is that she will tell other family this occured to try to tarnish thier reputation. I personnally don't think it will because they are both highly respected by the rest of thier extended family.

I don't even know if she has legal recourse if she were to alledge this to authorities, given that it supposedly happened over 20 years ago (she's 35 now).

You are right in that they need to stand up for the welfare of thier grandchildren.

I don't know law, but it seems to me that they should take the offensive here. It must be against some law to use false claims like this to get money or other concessions. If not for her tactics, they would have been making reports to child protective services for years.

What do you call it when someone uses false but damaging information like this? Should they just call the police or D/A? Or retain a lawyer? Both?

 

[dweezer]

It is an allegation on her part to begin with. Her parents can countersue at the same time for defamation of character. Once her drug use, abuse of her parents & neglect of her own children is brought out in court, she doesn't stand a chance with her so called "alleged molestation" by her father. Her parents are enablers at this point and should cut her off, report her to CPS and file for custody of their grandchildren.