STORY: "Iceland shaken baby syndrome case reopened?," by reporter Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir, published by Iceland Review on January 16, 2015.
GIST: "Dr. Waney Squier, a professor in neuropathology at Oxford University, stated on RÚV’s news magazine Kastljós on Wednesday that the traditional diagnosis for shaken baby syndrome is obsolete and that the findings of the autopsy of a nine-month-old boy who died in Iceland in 2001, leading to the conviction of a man for accidental manslaughter, was inconclusive. The man, Sigurður Guðmundsson, was given an 18-month sentence in 2003 but has always maintained his innocence. Approximately one year ago, his lawyer hired Dr. Squier to evaluate the evidence in the case. He is now requesting the reopening of the case.......The autopsy concluded that the boy had three symptoms coinciding with shaken baby syndrome, or abusive head trauma, as it is now known. The autopsy report, in addition to the assumed strain of being responsible for so many children in daycare, led to Sigurður’s conviction. He was found to have shaken the baby brutally, leading to his death. Sigurður stated he had never shaken the boy. Dr. Squier claimed that the symptoms mentioned in the autopsy report could be the result of head trauma but don’t prove that the baby was shaken. Had the boy been shaken brutally, he would have bruises and fractured ribs, she reasoned. Dr. Squier mentioned other possible reasons for his death, including infection leading to a blood clot in the brain and Vitamin D shortage. The boy had been ill in the days prior to his death. Shaken baby syndrome has been disputed in recent years. In Sweden, courts doubt that verdicts can be based on symptoms thought to indicate the syndrome, ruv.is reports."
The entire story can be found at:
http://www.icelandreview.com/news/2015/01/16/iceland-shaken-baby-syndrome-case-reopened
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
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.ca/2013/12/the-charles-smith-award-presented-to_28.html
I look forward to hearing from readers at:
hlevy15@gmail.com.
Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;
GIST: "Dr. Waney Squier, a professor in neuropathology at Oxford University, stated on RÚV’s news magazine Kastljós on Wednesday that the traditional diagnosis for shaken baby syndrome is obsolete and that the findings of the autopsy of a nine-month-old boy who died in Iceland in 2001, leading to the conviction of a man for accidental manslaughter, was inconclusive. The man, Sigurður Guðmundsson, was given an 18-month sentence in 2003 but has always maintained his innocence. Approximately one year ago, his lawyer hired Dr. Squier to evaluate the evidence in the case. He is now requesting the reopening of the case.......The autopsy concluded that the boy had three symptoms coinciding with shaken baby syndrome, or abusive head trauma, as it is now known. The autopsy report, in addition to the assumed strain of being responsible for so many children in daycare, led to Sigurður’s conviction. He was found to have shaken the baby brutally, leading to his death. Sigurður stated he had never shaken the boy. Dr. Squier claimed that the symptoms mentioned in the autopsy report could be the result of head trauma but don’t prove that the baby was shaken. Had the boy been shaken brutally, he would have bruises and fractured ribs, she reasoned. Dr. Squier mentioned other possible reasons for his death, including infection leading to a blood clot in the brain and Vitamin D shortage. The boy had been ill in the days prior to his death. Shaken baby syndrome has been disputed in recent years. In Sweden, courts doubt that verdicts can be based on symptoms thought to indicate the syndrome, ruv.is reports."
The entire story can be found at:
http://www.icelandreview.com/news/2015/01/16/iceland-shaken-baby-syndrome-case-reopened
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
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.ca/2013/12/the-charles-smith-award-presented-to_28.html
I look forward to hearing from readers at:
hlevy15@gmail.com.
Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;
