Major Research Project on Fabricated or Induced Illness published
Major Research Project on Fabricated or Induced Illness published
It is an honour to have our work on Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII) referenced in the recently published findings of a large-scale research project into the prevalence and impact of allegations of FII.
This research, based at the School of Law at the University of Leeds, makes for sobering reading indeed. It highlights a widespread and significant increase in the numbers of parents of disabled children being inappropriately accused of FII, with disabled parents being four times more likely to be accused than non-disabled parents. Half of the allegations were made after a parent carer had made a complaint about the relevant public body. The principal finding of the report is that these accusations cause devastating and lasting trauma to both the families accused and their children.
The report found that the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 2021 FII guidance is likely to give rise to a large number of ‘false positives’. Luke Clements, Cerebra Professor of Law and Social Justice at the University of Leeds, calls for ‘a radical overhaul of policy and practice in this field.’ The report can be read in full here.