Eight cases of parents convicted of killing their children are referred to commission
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《英国医生杂志》
Just eight cases of parents convicted of killing their children have so far emerged as candidates for criminal appeals following the review by the attorney general in the wake of the release of Angela Cannings.
The attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, has been reviewing almost 300 child killing cases since Mrs Cannings was cleared on appeal at the end of last year of murdering her two baby sons ( BMJ 2004;328: 183). The appeal court in that case said that no prosecutions should be brought in future when reputable medical experts were in dispute about cause of death and there was no other cogent evidence. That ruling prompted the government to order a review of criminal prosecutions of parents, to find those where the result hinged on disputed medical evidence.
The attorney general had identified 28 cases where such an appeal could be made. He referred four cases to the Criminal Cases Review Commission earlier this year, and now another four are being considered.
Two of the four new cases involve two parents who want to appeal, whose solicitors have written to the attorney general's office. The attorney general's office forwarded the letters to the Criminal Cases Review Commission last week. The first case relates to the death of a baby girl in 2000 and the second to the death of a baby boy in 2001.
The third case involves a parent whose solicitor has contacted the commission to say that his client may appeal. The fourth case is that of Donna Anthony, who was convicted in 1998 of murdering her two babies, whose case was already being considered by the Criminal Cases Review Commission when Mrs Cannings was released.
Angela Canning's victory led to a review of cases of child death
Credit: CHRIS YOUNG/PA
The numbers are lower than expected after the huge publicity given to the attorney general's review.
A simultaneous review of civil cases in which children had been taken into local authority care on disputed medical evidence has produced what a spokesperson for the president of the High Court's family division described as "a small handful" of appeals.
Mrs Cannings was convicted in April 2002 of the murder of 7 week old Jason in June 1991 and 18 week old Matthew in November 1999, based on the opinion of three experts, including the paediatrician Professor Roy Meadow, who is facing charges before the General Medical Council.(Clare Dyer, legal corresp)
The attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, has been reviewing almost 300 child killing cases since Mrs Cannings was cleared on appeal at the end of last year of murdering her two baby sons ( BMJ 2004;328: 183). The appeal court in that case said that no prosecutions should be brought in future when reputable medical experts were in dispute about cause of death and there was no other cogent evidence. That ruling prompted the government to order a review of criminal prosecutions of parents, to find those where the result hinged on disputed medical evidence.
The attorney general had identified 28 cases where such an appeal could be made. He referred four cases to the Criminal Cases Review Commission earlier this year, and now another four are being considered.
Two of the four new cases involve two parents who want to appeal, whose solicitors have written to the attorney general's office. The attorney general's office forwarded the letters to the Criminal Cases Review Commission last week. The first case relates to the death of a baby girl in 2000 and the second to the death of a baby boy in 2001.
The third case involves a parent whose solicitor has contacted the commission to say that his client may appeal. The fourth case is that of Donna Anthony, who was convicted in 1998 of murdering her two babies, whose case was already being considered by the Criminal Cases Review Commission when Mrs Cannings was released.
Angela Canning's victory led to a review of cases of child death
Credit: CHRIS YOUNG/PA
The numbers are lower than expected after the huge publicity given to the attorney general's review.
A simultaneous review of civil cases in which children had been taken into local authority care on disputed medical evidence has produced what a spokesperson for the president of the High Court's family division described as "a small handful" of appeals.
Mrs Cannings was convicted in April 2002 of the murder of 7 week old Jason in June 1991 and 18 week old Matthew in November 1999, based on the opinion of three experts, including the paediatrician Professor Roy Meadow, who is facing charges before the General Medical Council.(Clare Dyer, legal corresp)