Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

New Cot Death Ruling

9 replies

Twink · 19/01/2004 22:26

Just caught up with this , finally it seems like parents evidence might be taken seriously.

OP posts:
carriemac · 20/01/2004 11:14

unless the parents are lying of course

GeorginaA · 20/01/2004 11:19

I was listening to the today programme on Radio 4 this morning and there was a really heartbreaking story about a woman whose baby was taken away from her at birth because her previous child was considered murdered rather than died by cot death.

There were 7 expert witnesses, 2 of which said she was a danger to her child, 5 of which said she wasn't but the judge held the first 2 with more weight. Child is now 4 years old and about to be adopted by her foster family.

So now, what is the mother supposed to do? The four year old doesn't know her as Mummy so she can hardly take her back, but the child was taken away from her wrongly. Horrible situation.

Marina · 20/01/2004 12:18

I see that Margaret Hodge is so concerned about children's welfare these days that she thinks it might be wrong to reunite these potentially wrongly adopted children with their birth parents. Shame she wasn't so quick off the mark when it came to the wellbeing of children in care in Islington.
I can't begin to imagine how it must feel to have your baby die, to be accused of its murder, and then have your other children taken away from you too.
I wonder whether Professor Meadow cares that his evidence has ruined so many people's lives. I think it is utterly disgusting that his whole premise is based on "data" that only he has seen and which cannot now be found.
This whole story makes me bitterly angry from start to finish.

Batters · 21/01/2004 08:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wayward · 24/01/2004 20:05

carriemac, it is very difficult for the families involved to come forward in these cases. Not only are they 'gagged' by a court order that prevents them from disclosing any details of their cases as they are held in private judges chambers, but have you thought about how they must feel? I urge you to read the stories of bunglie and cheeseball. The heading is;
In the News - Sir Roy Meadows to face enquirey
Do you really think that these women are not telling the truth? I think that they must have spent years branded as liars, by a man who 'invented' a syndrome and now they do not expect people to believe them. How awful for any mother to loose her children but these cases should have our support.
I do not doubt that there are some women out there that harm their babies, but let's call it by it's right name, not some obscure syndrome. I think that it must have taken courage for these women to tell us their stories, and I do not doubt their validity. I feel we, as women should support these miscarriages of justice and prevent it from happening to others.
Do you really think they are lying?

kiwisbird · 24/01/2004 20:09

It seems that to wrongly accuse one woman and put her through the unforgiveable scenario of losing her babies then her liberty, marriage and support system... That it is indeed better to err on the side of caution and assume that if looks like a cot death than it prob is one. God thats hard to say isn't it... Eeeeks

wayward · 24/01/2004 20:21

kiwisbird I know what you are saying and I agree in the light of recent events.
Sorry the link that you should all read is;
In the news - Sir Roy Meadow to face inquiry.
Sorry I never could spell!
What a sorry society we live in when we allow things like this to happen and then leave it in the hands of women like Patricia Hodge to sort out. I am ashamed by our so called perfect justice system.

Jimjams · 24/01/2004 22:13

MSBP has been a problem in many areas for a while now. this link makes interesting reading.

I feel so desperately sad for those women who have been affected by this. Yet again the system that is meant to be there to protect children, is so ridiculously ineffective it destroys lives.

SofiaAmes · 25/01/2004 00:27

and the god awful part about it, is that it doesn't seem to protect the children that truly need protecting. Like victoria columbe (sp?). Or for that matter my poor stepchildren who are living in the most awful house and when last year my dh called social services to express concern about the heroin addict crack dealer that their mother had moved into the house (never mind the 3 middle of the night armed drug raids in the previous 2 months), the social services woman called him a bitter ex husband and refused to make an anonymous report.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread