Expert struck off in ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ row fights ban
A WORLD-renowned paediatric expert who was struck off after claiming Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) does not exist is fighting to be reinstated in an appeal starting tomorrow.
The case at London’s Royal Courts of Justice centres on paediatric neuropathologist Dr Waney Squier.
In March this year the General Medical Council (GMC) found that between 2007 and 2010 she was dishonest in her dealing with six cases in the family court in a way that brought the reputation of the medical profession into disrepute. She was immediately struck off.
For the past 30 years, Dr Squier had worked at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford researching the pathology of infant brains, including SBS. She originally appeared as an expert witness for the prosecution when parents were accused of harming their offspring. But about 15 years ago, she began to doubt the scientific basis of the syndrome and said that bleeding on a baby’s brain could occur naturally.
She has even described the syndrome as ‘rubbish’.
There are about 250 cases involving SBS in British courts every year. One famous example involved Sally Clark, a Cheshire solicitor wrongly convicted of killing two of her children who was freed on appeal.
A letter in the latest issue of the BMJ (British Medical Journal) signed by 350 leading medical specialists and lawyers urged the GMC to reconsider its decision regarding Dr Squier, pointing out ‘there are genuine and significant differences of opinion among experts working in the field’.
The decision had far-reaching impact. Since the GMC’s verdict other experts who agree with Dr Squier’s view are no longer willing to risk their career by giving evidence in SBS courts.
Dr Squier said: ‘People are scared to speak against the agreed hypothesis. They say, “No, I can’t do this, my career is worth more.”’
Dr Squier believes her case was orchestrated by police prosecutors and the medical establishment who disliked her opposing views and she insisted: ‘I now believe that SBS does not exist.’