Domestic violence is a very serious cause and sadly, an all too prominent issue in the United States. Yet it can’t be ignored that false allegations of domestic violence do happen.

A 2009 report from the University of New Mexico School of Law explains that recantation in domestic violence cases has become the norm. According to the head of the Family Violence Division of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, an estimated 90% of domestic dispute victims recant their original statements. A recantation does not always mean the abuse didn’t occur, but for some reason, the victim recanted their statement whether it be due to pressure from the accused, fear, false accusations or other outside factors.

Due to the emotional and often volatile nature of domestic violence, there are many organizations and protocols in place to help victims quickly and safely escape a dangerous situation. Sadly, this also makes it easy for domestic violence charges and restraining orders to be taken advantage of. Due to the high prevalence of recantation, it is commonplace for prosecutors to turn a blind eye to possible perjury in domestic violence cases for fear of criticism even though it is widely understood that lying to a court is in fact a felony.

According to SAVE, an organization dedicated to finding evidence-based solutions to end domestic violence and sexual assault, it is estimated that nearly 700,000 people are wrongfully convicted of domestic violence every year yet there are no district attorneys who regularly prosecute false allegations of domestic violence. With the high prevalence of innocent men and women convicted of domestic disputes, it’s shocking to hear there are no district attorneys in the United States who regularly prosecute false allegations of domestic violence.