Paediatrician Sir Roy Meadow Struck Off

UK: A senior paediatrician whose misleading testimony led to a mother being wrongfully jailed for the murder of her two baby sons was today struck off the medical register.

The General Medical Council (GMC) found Professor Sir Roy Meadow, 72, guilty of serious professional misconduct for giving evidence beyond his expertise at the trial of solicitor Sally Clark.

Prof Meadow, a former president of the Royal College of Paediatricians, is now barred from practising medicine in the UK.

Prof Meadow wrongly stated in Mrs Clark's trial in 1999 that there was just a "one in 73 million" chance that two babies from an affluent family like hers could suffer cot death. The actual odds were only one in 77.

The GMC fitness to practise panel said in its verdict that Prof Meadow had failed in his duty to check the validity of his statistics. It added: "You should have refrained from giving expert evidence upon matters beyond your competence, but this again, you failed to do."

The panel decided it was "in the public interest" to strike the paediatrician off because his breaches of the duties as an expert witness were "significant and grave". The serious and fundamental nature of his errors were further compounded by his repeated use of the erroneous statistics.

The panel therefore concluded that it was "proportionate in safeguarding the public interest and in promoting and maintaining that trust that your name be erased from the medical register".

Prof Meadow has 28 days to appeal the decision before he is struck off.

The verdict came a day after the GMC disciplinary panel found Prof Meadow had given "erroneous" and "misleading" evidence in Mrs Clark's trial in 1999. Her sons died of sudden infant death syndrome (Sids), commonly known as cot death, in the late 1990s. She served four years in jail until her convictions were quashed.

In a statement, the Clark family welcomed the decision and admonished Prof Meadow. They also urged the GMC to make changes to its disciplinary procedures that would speed up the process.

The family said: "We are pleased that, after nearly seven long years, Meadow has finally been held to account by his profession for his erroneous and misleading evidence, which we feel was primarily responsible for the terrible miscarriage of justice suffered by Sally.

"We hope that the GMC's findings will finally send a strong message to doctors, reminding them of the care they should take to carry out their duty to be impartial, honest and balanced when giving evidence as expert witnesses."

Prof Meadow also acted as an expert witness in the cases of Angela Cannings and Donna Anthony, whose children also died of cot death and were wrongly convicted partly on the basis of his evidence.

Ms Cannings, who was cleared in 2003 of murdering two of her children, told BBC News 24 that the verdict was "fantastic, very positive news." She said: "I feel a huge relief that the GMC has made him accountable for what he has done."

Ms Cannings' husband, Terry, 51, added: "I just feel very relieved. I'm glad that common sense has prevailed."

George Hawks, the solicitor for Donna Anthony, said neither he nor his client took pleasure in Prof Meadow's downfall. He said: "It's never nice for anyone to have their career ruined in this way. I speak on behalf of Donna, who is not in any way vindictive towards him. All she'd ever asked was that he acknowledge that he had got it wrong, at least in her case."

The president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Professor Sir Alan Craft, called for the role of expert witnesses in court cases to be "urgently reviewed" to restore public confidence.

He said: "What is now absolutely vital is that something good comes out of this whole episode. We need urgently to examine the role of expert witnesses in our courts and to recommend how the system can be improved. Above all else, we must re-establish confidence in the role of expert witnesses in court."

Sir Alan added that the GMC's decision to strike Prof Meadow off the register was "saddening" because during his "long and distinguished career" he had undoubtedly saved many children's lives.

By Roxanne Escobales and David Batty posted 16 July 05

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Clark case pathologist banned
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Mother's conviction quashed for killing her children
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Cot deaths and justice
Did you kill your babies?' A whisper came from the crumpled figure in the dock: 'No.' The whisper grew louder: 'No, no.' It was as if we were witnessing torture in Reading Crown Court. It is hard to imagine a crueller inquisition than that which faced Trupti Patel: a mother loses three babies in cot death and then goes through the hell of being accused of murdering them.

Accused of abuse, but never tried
Mothers Sally Clark and Trupti Patel found themselves in the dock accused of murdering their babies partly on the strength of expert testimony by Sir Roy Meadows. But other families have been forcibly separated thanks to Sir Roy's testimony without police charges ever being brought.

Cot Death Mothers: The Witch Hunt
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Australia

Appeals court told woman's sentence barbaric!
Appeal: Folbigg's lawyers argue her sentence is barbaric.But is she guilty? When she has maintains her innocence? And what about "Meadows law"?

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome! & The Kathleen Folbigg Case
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Folbigg, convicted until proven innocent
Convicted August 2003 for the manslaughter of her eldest child Caleb, and the murder of her next three children, Patrick, Sarah and Laura. Disturbing similarities between the case of Kathleen Folbigg and that of Sally Clark (nb. Other Meadows cases Trupti Patel, Angela Cannings, Donna Anthony, Margaret Smith, Julie Ferris, Maxine Robinson) using "Meadows law" one cot death is tragic, two suspicious, three murder." The Attorney-General in England is reviewing more than 250 cases where a parent may have been wrongly convicted. In other words, Professor Meadows evidence has been totally discredited. There is a furore in England, but no mention in Australian press?

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Isolation at prisons should be eliminated

BIA (Istanbul) - "Health conditions at prisons should be improved and isolation should be eliminated," said the Istanbul Chamber of Physicians. "The complaints of the families of inmates are worrying." Calling on the government to cooperate with local physicians chambers.

The Istanbul Chamber of Physicians (ITO) has called on the government to improve the physical and psychological health conditions of the inmates, especially of those at the maximum-security F-type prisons. The Chamber has also asked the government to cooperate with the chambers of physicians when needed.

Through legal amendments, the government has left the people's right to a healthy life to the mercy of the market, the ITO board of directors said in a written statement. "This is also affecting the prisoners."

ITO said that tens of people have chosen to die since the "returning to life" operation 4.5 years ago. It cited the complaints of the families of inmates and added that health conditions at the F-type prisons are threatening the lives of the prisoners.

"The prisoners are forced to live in physical and social isolation," said the statement. "From the increasing number of complaints from their families, it can be told that the prisoners are deliberately left to die.

Prison authorities are preventing treatment although some inmates have serious health problems. They are only transferred to hospitals at the very last stage of their sickness. They are even prevented from using medicine."

ITO had earlier applied to the Justice Ministry and proposed that an independent group of physicians, under the supervision of the Turkish Physicians Association, inspect the health services in prisons. The Justice Ministry rejected the proposal saying "health services are being provided in the related units," according to ITO.

Media is silent about the issue

"Media's silence about what's going on in the prisons is interesting," said ITO, adding:

"The pressure and insults the inmates and their families are faced with at the F-type prisons are unacceptable and cannot be kept in the dark anymore. They virtually have no rights. It is clear that hiding this problem would only lead to the creation of a cruel political regime and would have no contribution to the democratization of our country." (KO/EA/YE)

"Execution and punishment system more important than type of prisons":

A report prepared by professional unions in Izmir has said that the type of prison was not important, but punishment and execution systems should be discussed. The death fasts, held by leftist prisoners for more than 200 days in protest against the cell-based F-type prisons, and the construction and health standards of the F-type prisons were discussed in the report.

It was alleged that the problem did not come from the type of prison, the main problems causing riots and bickering in the prisons were the policies on execution and punishment implementations. Various professional unions prepared reports in their own fields.

The Izmir Bar Association prepared a report on jurisprudence, Construction Engineers prepared a report on the inner design of prisons and the physicians union prepared a report on health conditions within the prisons.

Their reports were merged to be published as a booklet. The final report has been prepared after long evaluation and investigation into the current situation of the prisons.

The report stated that the prisons, developed by the Justice Ministry, were not hotels, but the prisoners have social and cultural rights during their stay in the prisons.

Construction and health conditions

The report also contains the datum of report on prisons, which was prepared by the Human Rights Commission of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM).

Inner design of the prisons was evaluated in the report, focusing on the Kiriklar F-type prison. Dangerous prisoners have been identified by the objective criteria in democracy, the basic principles to identify the prisoners were listed in the report:

"A proper system should be provided for prisoners to express their grievances and report violations subjected to themselves and enmities among themselves. Measures have to be taken to reduce the bickering and enmity among prisoners.

They should be given the opportunity to act freely, and security measures should be taken if there are any dangerous event. Implementation of the security measures must be only toward the dangerous prisoners.

"The implementation of the F-type prisons could cause isolation, and due to this isolation serious health problems could be experienced. Toilets have been designed to double as shower rooms which may cause infections among the prisoners.

"Qualified personnel should be appointed to the prisons and practically experienced professionals should be employed by the prisons to carry out executions. Both personnel and the prisoners have a right to participate the administration of the prison. Different execution judiciary should be established in the prisons."

Pertaining to the health conditions and medical rights of the prisons, the report said: "Medical treatment of prisoners should be given to sick prisoners, the kind of the treatment should be told to prisoners. The health service must be available equally to each prisoner. Prisoners must be informed before all medical treatments. Professional independencies of the doctor and other personnel who work in the prisoners have to be ensured."

The conclusion of the report said that the construction of the F-type prisoners should be up to modern standards, and the reform of the prisons should be probed by all authorities.

The report, consisting of 77 pages, explains how the prisons have been designed. It states that some 250 prisoners have died since 1981 for various reasons. The creator of the report said that the prisons have been considered problematic because of the execution and punishment policies.

"It has been announced by the Justice Ministry, referring to the reform on the prisons, that the F-type prisons in Turkey are up to European standards. F-type prisons are not hotels, they were built to house dangerous criminals. It is the highly established security execution methods," they added.

557 prisons in Turkey

According the report there are some 557 prisons in Turkey now, containing 72,000 inmates, the total capacity of prisons is around 73,000. It was claimed in the report that only these 13,000 prisoner should be kept in the F-type prisons.

By Bianet.org 14 July 05

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"The political environment before the war made it impossible to analyse the level of poverty and hunger in the country," said Torben Due, the director of the WFP's program in Iraq.

"For the first time, we are getting an accurate picture of people's access to food," he said in a statement.

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"Despite receiving food rations from Iraq's Public Distribution System, these people are still struggling to cope," Mr Due said.

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The WFP receives most of its funding from the United States.

[The same country that pre-emptively struck Iraq, committing occupation, genocide, maiming and torture of the Sovereign Nation State.]

The group said it had launched a one year emergency operation that will cost $84 million and reach 220,000 malnourished children and 350,000 pregnant and lactating women.

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After the illegal and degrading invasion of Iraq and the fall of Saddam Hussein documents surfaced that appeared to show the program had been rife with bribery and kickbacks, prompting UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to order an investigation.

By No War and Howard Out 29 September 04

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A group of Australian doctors opposed to war is warning national security will be compromised by any proposed involvement in the United States' missile defence program 'Son of a bitch'..

Pope calls for sanctions on leaders who violate rights
Leader of the child molesters, Pope John Paul II has called for political leaders who violate human rights to be punished, in a World Day of Peace message released amid worldwide debate over how Saddam Hussein should be brought to justice.

War criminals should be tried: Human Rights
The UN War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague should try George Bush, Tony Blair and John Howard for their part in the coalition of the killing for crimes against humanity.

Who cares wins? Those who inflict or those who endure?
When occupation means war then who cares wins? Not those who can inflict the most, but those who can endure the most, I would have thought.

Coalition of the Killing's alliance against law 'the wrong way'
Australia and Britain [and the Coalition of the Killing], could have agreed that the [resource], wars on Afghanistan, Iraq, and liberty, the proliferation of Security Housing Units, and Detention Centres, can be addressed unilaterally - a trend in the US that is feared all over the world - but must be faced collectively.

A STRUGGLE ON TWO FRONTS: PRISONS & IMPERIALIST WAR
After a war waged by the U.S. military against Vietnam which took the lives of more than 3 million Vietnamese people and more than 58,000 GIs, the U.S. finally withdrew in 1975. It had suffered its first official major military defeat by a united people struggle led by the Vietnamese, along with a mass U.S. anti-war movement.

Police surround protesters outside US Embassy
Thousands of protesters have marched to the Lodge to protest against [war criminal], US President George W Bush's visit. The protesters had rallied outside Parliament House, booing when the president arrived this morning and chanting "go home Bush you war criminal".

David Burchell: Paradox of anti-Americanism
[War criminal] President George W. Bush's trip to our shores today has focused attention on a striking fact - the apparently irresistible rise in hostility among many Australians towards the US.

Pilger said White House knew Saddam was no threat
Australian investigative journalist John Pilger says he has evidence the war against Iraq was based on a lie which could cost George W Bush and Tony Blair their jobs and bring Prime Minister John Howard down with them.

Illegal and degrading war crimes: Society on the New World Order (OWN)! While Australia and the US are very distinctive societies war criminal, Prime Minister John Howard and war criminal, President George Bush share core values.

Thousands march for peace! But does that mean no war?
THOUSANDS of people took to the streets around the country yesterday to march against the war in Iraq and for world peace.

US disturbed over 'biased' reporting in Arab media! But the US lies to the world! How could anyone describe pre-emptive strikes on a sovereign nation, occupation, genocide, torture, and human rights abuse by the Coalition of the Killing in a positive light?

Coalition force 'surprised' by stiff resistance for food aid
About 4,000-5,000 allied forces have launched what they vowed would be an all-out blitz. "We're going straight through that city," a US Marine officer, who asked not to be named, said. "It will be a Hail Mary with guns ablazing."

Explosions rock Baghdad, jets overhead Iraq
BAGHDAD, March 20 [Rooters] A handful of explosions rocked Baghdad at dawn today as jets roared overhead, Iraqi anti-aircraft batteries opened up and air raid sirens sounded.

Bin Laden calls? CIA blind man's bluff!
A [US propaganda, fear-mongering] taped message purportedly from Osama bin Laden has warned Arab nations against supporting a war against Iraq but has branded Saddam Hussein an infidel.

U.S. AMBASSADOR WARNED TO STOP MEDDLING:
The Australian Federal Opposition and Labor Party Leader, Simon Crean, has again warned the U.S. ambassador to stop meddling in Australian politics.

War: Part one The human cost
On the road to Basra, ITV was filming wild dogs as they tore at the corpses of the Iraqi dead. Every few seconds a ravenous beast would rip off a decaying arm and make off with it over the desert in front of us, dead fingers trailing through the sand, the remains of the burned military sleeve flapping in the wind. "Just for the record,'' the cameraman said to me. Of course. Because ITV would never show such footage.

Mandela speaks out against Bush, Blair
Former South African leader Nelson Mandela has lashed out at US President George W Bush's stance on Iraq, saying the US leader has no foresight, and cannot think properly.

All the way with (LPK) Love Peace and Kindness: Dalai Lama
Communication is a two way street. Threats and punishment solve nothing and serve none. In fact it is against the law in most countries to threaten or punish a person.

Pleas for peace ring the globe
Anti-war demonstrators turned out in their hundreds of thousands around the world on Saturday to protest against United States military preparations for an invasion of Iraq.

Not too late for Iraq peace, Blix says
But we all know that's rubbish now. The Coalition of the Killing were not seeking WMD in Iraq, they were there for their resource wars. So who gave the 'UN' and Blix the wrong information back then? War criminals!

George Bush's other poodle
John Howard, Australia's PM, is the mouse that roars for America, whipping his country into war fever and paranoia about terrorism within.