Medical Experts

The first medical ‘experts’ that can be involved vary, as the Paramedic on the scene may build up a picture, or if the child was taken to a Hospital, Walk in Centre or Surgery, the relevant nurse or GP. It maybe worth checking on their training and skills in Child related injuries and incidents, we often assume people are fully trained in all aspects. Like Police Officers they often see the worst in things, and people and it can taint your perception over time (speaking as someone who has worn uniforms for over 20 years)

Later on there will be Post Mortems, which of course cannot and do not look at every possible medical condition. There was two Post Mortems in our case neither to the best of my knowledge were conclusive. We also did not get chance to carry out an independent one, as the Child was laid to rest, something that should have been allowed to happen given the nature of the charge you would have hoped.

Later on again there will be a review of the case by other medical ‘experts’ usually ‘specialists’ in certain areas, depending on what is being alleged.

Certain conditions of late such as Munchausens by Proxy, Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) have limited research carried out and have been developed more on the ‘Opinions’ of experts.
An opinion does not equal evidence – it is exactly what it says it is, someone’s opinion!

Around the world little research has been carried out on SBS, for example only limited testing on animals has been carried out. Obviously they can’t shake children or adults, which would be the ultimate way to prove or disprove the Syndrome, but as I have said that would not be possible. There is some research that has been started using Computer Modelling Programmes. It remains to be seen if this takes into account all the factors affecting individual cases. A computer can only work on what is put in, bad info in, bad info out.

Following the General Medical Councils suspension of the then leading Child Protection ‘expert’ Professor Roy Meadows for making inaccuracies in court that affected several high profile cases (those accused have finally been released) there was a lot of experts who would not review these sort of cases (I believe very strongly that’s why we were kept on hold for over a year). For fear of being suspended by the GMC. They even apparently considered bringing in overseas ‘experts’ to review British cases.

The court of appeal has since allowed Professor Meadows back onto the scene again. We will see what impact this has on the experts out there.

Be aware though that if an ‘expert’ gives their opinion against you, but is later on found to have been working from information later proved to be false, or inaccurate, they will not be punished by the courts. As there is an agreement that experts have the protection of the courts, as long as they do not deliberately mislead the Jury or lie to them. So they have nothing to lose, you however may lose every thing, just on their opinion.

Experts can be paid well for their services.