BOOK REVIEW: "It happened to Audrey," published by the Innocence Blog on March 8, 2013.
GIST: "In honor of International Women’s Day, the Innocence Blog reviews a new book by Audrey Edmunds about her wrongful conviction, It Happened to Audrey: A Terrifying Journey from Loving Mom to Accused Baby Killer, which was co-written by Jill Wellington.........For Audrey Edmunds, such an accusation cost her 11 years of her life in prison—for which she may never be compensated—the chance to raise her three daughters, her marriage, and her livelihood as a family care provider to young children. Her nightmare began when seven-month-old Natalie Beard inexplicably fell unconscious one morning while in her care, making Edmunds the victim of a cultural phenomenon—a rash of “shaken baby syndrome” convictions. It Happened to Audrey, which Edmunds started writing while she was still behind bars, is the first account of its kind to convey the personal struggle and loss of an “accused baby killer.”......... The terminology that medical experts have used to describe the force of the shaking—similar to a fall from a three-story building or the impact of a car crash—has helped to enable guilty verdicts in these cases with almost no corroborating evidence. Edmunds had dozens of supporters who testified to her loving care of children; she had no history of violence and no criminal history, yet she was convicted and sentenced to serve 18 years in prison. Natalie, though she had no external injuries and no bone fractures, was deemed “shaken” because she had the classic triage of symptoms: subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhage and cerebral edema. Medical experts are now converging around a more holistic approach to diagnosing shaken baby syndrome that includes a closer examination of the child’s medical history and other factors. Edmunds was finally exonerated in 2008, one of a wave of similar convictions that are being overturned due to growing doubts within the medical community about the over-diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome. She is one of 72 women who have been exonerated nationwide since 1989 after years or decades of wrongful imprisonment."
The entire review can be found at:
http://www.innocenceproject.org/Content/Book_Review_It_Happened_to_Audrey.php
PUBLISHER'S NOTE
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.
The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.
Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.
