QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Although Squier may be struck off, at least she will not be burned at the stake. But the impact on medical science will be immense, because what other doctor will be prepared to question the prosecution theory if it means the end of a career? This is a very dark day for science, as it is for justice.” Human rights lawyer Clive Stafford Smith."
POST: "Inside Justice U.K. calls it a "muted triumph for shake baby skeptics,"published by Inside Justice. ("Inside Justice is led by Louise Shorter who for 10 years was a producer/director of the BBC’s long-running miscarriage of justice TV series Rough Justice. The last programme she made about the wrongful convictions of Barri White and Keith Hyatt led directly to new evidence being found which resulted in their convictions being quashed. In 2013, Shahidul Ahmed, the real killer in this case was convicted following a cold-case review led by Inside Justice Advisory Panel member Tracy Alexander. Inside Justice is a division of the not-for-profit newspaper Inside Time which has been a voice for prisoners since it was launched in 1990. At Inside Justice our core strength comes from our Advisory Panel of experts who come from a rich range of disciplines. The panel considers select cases put before them with a view to identifying new work and investigative strands. We have a budget to commission new forensic work on individual cases and strive to support and facilitate academic research on key issues affecting the criminal justice system.")
GIST: "Dr Waney Squier has successfully appealed against a medical tribunal’s ruling that she had misled courts hearing cases of ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ (SBS). Mr Justice Mitting cleared Dr Squier of dishonesty and said there were significant flaws in the tribunal's findings against her, but he maintained that her actions did amount to serious professional misconduct. The pathologist has been unable to give evidence in court since being struck off the medical register in March. The General Medical Council (GMC) panel had called evidence that she had given in cases “dishonest” and “deliberately misleading”. Although now reinstated on the medical register and able to practise once again, Dr Squier will not be allowed to give expert evidence in court for three years. Fellow SBS sceptics Dr Irene Scheimberg and Dr Marta Cohen have also stopped giving evidence, as have supporters of the diagnosis including Professors Tony Risdon and Colin Smith, both of whom gave evidence against Dr Squier at her panel. The original complaint against Squier was brought by DI Colin Welsh of the Metropolitan Police who objected to Defence Experts causing the Crown Prosecution Service to lose “child abuse” cases. Prominent international researchers have come out in support of Squier.........In the Guardian, Human Rights lawyer Clive Stafford Smith described Squier’s treatment as “something akin to a reenactment of the trial of Galileo, precisely four centuries after the original. “Shaken baby syndrome is almost unique among medical diagnoses in that it is not focused on treating the child,” he continued. “If an infant has bleeding on the brain (a subdural hematoma), the doctor wants to relieve the pressure – it is of little relevance how the infant came about the injury. SBS is, then, a “diagnosis” of a crime rather than an illness, and when a brain surgeon comes into the courtroom and “diagnoses” guilt, the defendant, mostly a parent, is likely to go to prison – or worse. “Those deemed to be blasphemers often suffer a gruesome fate. Although Squier may be struck off, at least she will not be burned at the stake. But the impact on medical science will be immense, because what other doctor will be prepared to question the prosecution theory if it means the end of a career? This is a very dark day for science, as it is for justice.” In a letter to the Guardian, a group of twenty-five prominent lawyers, pathologists, paediatricians and neurologists argued that: “The case of Dr Squier is indicative of a troubling pattern where the authorities inflict harsh penalties on those who fail to toe the establishment line.” Senior barrister Michael Birnbaum QC wrote a robust, critical forensic analysis of the judgment that brought Dr Squier’s internationally distinguished career to an end [see: www.insidejusticeuk.com/articles/dr-waney-squier-struck-off-medical-register/139]. Louise Shorter, founder of Inside Justice, was called to give evidence for Dr Squier and was considered a “credible” witness by the tribunal panel after her description of Dr Squier’s honesty and integrity. Speaking before today’s Appeal decision, Dr Squier told BBC’s Newsnight that many people were frightened to give evidence in court following the GMC’s decision to strike her off the medical register, “which leaves us in the shameful position where our courts cannot get Defence experts to assist in these cases where parents are being accused of abusing their infants.” She called for a thorough independent review of the diagnosis of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), which she considers to have no validity at all, and no place in courts. “We need a public inquiry.”
The entire post can be found at:
http://www.insidejusticeuk.com/news/muted-triumph-for-shaken-baby-syndrome-sceptics/108
See Justice Mitting's ruling at the link below;
https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/squier-v-gmc-protected-approved-judgment-20160311-2.pdf
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. 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/
