ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL ABUSE IN DIVORCE CO NFLICTS AND THE PROBLEM OF SUGGESTIBILITY

A case of a mother confabulating an extended sexual abuse of her 13 an d 15 year old children involving bizarre sadistic features is presente d and discussed. The kinship to Munchhausen Syndrome by proxy, identit y diffusion, Posttraumatic Stress Syndrome, folie a deux and other con cepts is highlighted. It is suggested that sexual confabulations are g enerated within incestuous family structures as a means to stimulate a nd satisfy needs of personal closeness when losses and disruptive even ts have occurred. The disclosure or suspicion of sexual abuse may prov e neither true nor false but may hint to an impending emotional breakd own of a parent and to ongoing subtle incestuous traumatisation of a c hild.