A COUPLE whose child was taken from them nine years ago when they were accused of trying to poison her are to fight to clear their names.
Doubts have now been cast over one of the medical theories used in the case.
Their little girl was placed in council care when her parents, from Swinton, were alleged to have put salt into the three-month-old's two feeding bottles while she was in the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in Pendlebury.
Police found no evidence of a criminal offence and the couple were released without charge.
But Salford Social Services won a 13-month legal battle in July 1995, when Manchester County Court judge ruled that the child should be adopted.
The couple's three other children were also taken into care initially, but were later returned home and brought up by the couple. The other children are now 10, 14 and 19.
The case against them relied partly on the theory of discredited paediatrician Prof Sir Roy Meadow, who was not an expert witness, although his research was referred to by other experts giving evidence.
Apology
It is understood that the council alleged there were other factors, including forensic evidence and a worrying pattern of the child being taken to hospital a number of times.
The father in the Swinton case said: "My wife and myself were both arrested, but never charged. But in the county court the year after, it was suggested that one or both of us had tried to poison our daughter. We have always denied the allegations and we are over the moon that the Munchausen's theory is now being questioned.
"Now we want an apology from Salford Social Services."
Solicitor General Harriet Harman has announced an urgent review of 258 criminal cases where a parent was convicted of killing a child due to doubts about Sir Roy's theory. Any potential injustices in care proceedings are also to be identified.
In files on the case, the couple vehemently deny deliberately adding excessive amounts of salt to their daughter's bottles. The father said: "It is still a mystery to us how the salt could have got into the bottles." The couple are now seeking legal advice in a bid to clear their names.
A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills said: "Sir Roy Meadow is under investigation by the British Medical Council and we are looking at the implications for children taken into care."
A spokesman for Salford Social Services said: "Most child protection cases are extremely complex, but in every case, the interests of the children come first."
Should the couple's case be reviewed?
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Penny Mellor, Staffordshire (03/02/2004 at 16:14)
Penny Mellor
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C Johnson, Cumbria (03/02/2004 at 22:45)
How many children's lives have been sacrificed on the altar of Meadow's MSbP (now called FII) cult? The dangerous drug Cisapride might have been withdrawn earlier if infant deaths resulting from its use had not been "diagnosed" as MSbP. Research into genetic disorders, vaccine damage and SIDS in general has been held back by Meadow's quasi-superstitious mysoginist quackery. His ex-wife has broken her silence and says he has a problem with women. This man and his acolytes are abusers on a dreadful scale. "First do no harm"? What a bunch of frauds.
Davina Hollisey-McLean, Swansea (04/02/2004 at 08:41)
A WELSH mum whose son was taken into care when she and her husband were accused of making him ill has called for a nationwide public inquiry into Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy.
Dee Hollisy-McLean wants to force the Government into an open investigation of the controversial medical theory which led to thousands of children being taken from their parents.
The issue has already been described as the greatest miscarriage of justice of our time and a review of around 5,000 cases has begun.
It includes family court cases in which parents were accused of hurting their children and the youngsters were taken into care. It also features up to 258 cases of child murder.
Mrs Hollisy-McLean and her husband David believe questions have to be asked as to why the MSBP theory became a diagnosis which became "unchallenged in the criminal and family court".
Professor Sir Roy Meadow, who first identified MSBP in 1977, and other doctors gave evidence in many criminal cases as expert witnesses.
They were also able to give evidence on behalf of social services in care cases heard in a closed court.
The 46-year-old mum from Gowerton, Swansea, said the system had been "allowed to keep this secret" for many years and that these failures should not be repeated.
"The system has ignored complaints from parents and many others over the years, and instead fully supported the 'hawks of child abuse'," she said.
"We believe the only chance we have of preventing another scandal in relation to child abuse is to ensure this kind of system abuse and system failure in relation to the protection of children never be allowed to happen again.
"Because all the family court hearings and the decisions reached are shrouded in secrecy they have not been open to public scrutiny and so this scandal has been allowed to go on for decades.
"Even doctors who were concerned about what was going on in the family courts in relation to MSBP were prevented from speaking out because of the secrecy. The confidentiality that was set in place to protect children ultimately failed them and was used instead to protect the doctors.
"The diagnosis of MSBP became a self perpetuating industry b�" the doctors who made the allegations then being allowed to write court reports and appear in court to give evidence."
The Hollisy-McLeans' youngest son, Ben, was just five when he was taken into care in the summer of 1991.
He was not allowed to return home for 12 months and was not taken off a care order until October 1993.
The allegation of MSBP was shown to be incorrect and South Wales Police and the General Medical Council are investigating the case.
Mrs Hollisy-McLean said child protection agencies such as social services, child protection police officers and various charities had also failed children by treating "doctors as gurus and never questioning them".
She added: "It's our opinion that the research into cot death may have been much further forward today if the theory of MSBP had never been accepted as a medical diagnosis."
Mrs Hollisy-McLean this week began circulating copies of the petition and plans to eventually present it to the Government.
nAnyone who wishes to contact Mrs Hollisy-McLean about her campaign should telephone 01792 429537.
By Greg Lewis
Chief Reporter