Mob storms hospital treating terminally ill Alfie after court ruling
AN ANGRY mob yesterday tried to storm the children’s hospital where terminally ill Alfie Evans is being treated.
Dozens of people protesting against the decision to withdraw life support from the 23-month-old had earlier blocked a road outside the hospital before they made a dash for the main entrance after a final legal appeal to continue treatment was lost.
The self-styled “Alfie’s Army” left NHS doctors and nurses terrified and forced police to blockade the entrance to Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool.
Earlier, the European Court of Human Rights announced that it will not allow Alfie’s parents – Tom Evans, 21, and Kate James, 20 – to appeal against a British court ruling backing the doctors’ decision to turn off his life support system.
Mr Evans had told his supporters: “They’re telling me that my son is going to be dead and I’ve got no say over the matter.”
At first crowds gathered outside the Liverpool hospital where Alfie is being treated for a degenerative neurological condition. But Merseyside Police had to step in as some protesters then tried to storm the hospital, barricading the entrance and forcing others in the crowd to withdraw to the main road after a plea from organisers.
About 50 people linked arms, chanting ‘Save Alfie Evans’ after Alfie’s dad spoke to them. He has vowed: “We will not give up. We will continue to fight, by all means available to us within the law, to save our son’s life.”
At about 6pm last night it was announced that Alfie had been granted Italian citizenship.
The Italian foreign office said it hopes the terminally ill child will be allowed “immediate transfer to Italy”.
Mr Evans again spoke briefly to supporters outside the hospital. He said he hoped his son’s new citizenship would block any planned withdrawal of life support.
He added: “I’m stood here now and Alfie is still here. Why? Because I’m still fighting and so is Alfie.
“I have been in touch with the Ambassador of Italy. My son belongs to Italy. I love Alfie and I love Kate. I will not give up.”
The Daily Express understands most of the protest was peaceful, with trouble sparked by a minority.
Only last week consultant paediatrician and ITV doctor Dr Ravi Jayaram branded Alfie’s Army yobs who spat on nurses a “17th-century witch-hunting lynch mob”.
Alfie is said to be in a “semi-vegetative state”. Specialists at Alder Hey say life support should stop and judges have accepted evidence that shows further treatment would be futile.
Alfie’s parents, from Liverpool, have now lost a string of legal battles in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court. But in another attempt to save his boy, Mr Evans is threatening to bring private prosecutions against Alfie’s doctors. The couple argue the boy is being wrongly “detained” and have made an application to take him away from the hospital. It is not known when this will be discussed in court but a similar application was already heard and dismissed by Mr Justice Hayden in the High Court. Judges have since approved plans for withdrawing treatment and bringing Alfie’s life to an end. Yesterday Alder Hey stressed it has remained open, although it warned visitors that they “may notice an increase in visible police presence in and around the hospital”.