nl_e17

False Allegations of Child Abuse
● A baby who died of SIDS also had a full diaper and was not found for 8 hours. Some red
apparent abrasions were identified by the nurses when the body was undressed and washed.
These were not in an assaultive pattern. Microscopy showed these to be the work of fecal
clostridia, which were obvious on the slide, where they formed a bacterial lawn over the lesion.
I was shocked and dismayed that the local pathologist wouldn't recognize this. I decided that he
was either incompetent or just crooked. The prosecutor had nothing to say about the scientific
stuff, but actually screamed at me because I read "Playboy" and complained about my link to
VOCAL. This is how low some prosecutors can sink in a politicized case. Outcome unknown.
● I have reviewed two cases from Rhode Island in which a nurse-activist has testified, falsely,
that her review of the literature indicates (in one case) mere failure of the anus to wink when
the buttocks are spread (curiously she calls this the "relaxation response") is a good indicator
for buggery, and (in the other case) labial adhesions are a strong sign of abuse. At the time she
gave testimony in each case, the actual refereed medical literature indicated both claims were
NOT true. This is at best a surprising display of ignorance from somebody who should know
better, and at worst criminal perjury. On the evidence I have seen so far, this has resulted in
one wrongful, and one dubious, conviction. Both men are in prison.
A man, also in Rhode Island, has served 11 years in prison because of testimony by a pediatric
resident. Errors included saying that an opening in the hymen of 1 cm was excessively large for
a six year old girl (it's just within the 2 SD), that scarring could be produced by rubbing, that a
child who easily accepted an examiner's digital anal penetration had probably been abused,
and that skin tags on the anus suggested sexual abuse. The child had a groin rash, which I
thought was a better explanation for the "scarring" (sounded like dermatitis) on the perineum.
And she had been receiving suppositories, which explained why she permitted anal digital
penetration more easily than did other children. He tells me the accusation followed his finding
his wife in bed with another man. I wrote him explaining the mistakes, and I have asked him to
have the physician who testified against him review her testimony and reconsider in light of
today's improved knowledge.
A man in the southern US was accused by his sixteen-year-old daughter of many episodes of
penetration. The examiner testified that a pattern of scarring was seen at the edges of the
ruptured hymen which indicated that intercourse was not consensual. She could not describe
the identifying features of this pattern. During cross-examination, she admitted this was not
something she could find in a textbook, but became very indignant, saying her education was
not on trial here, that she doesn't memorize textbooks, and so forth. Of course, her claim is total
bunk and I told this to the interested parties. Outcome unknown.
Except for two cases which went through a referral agency, I've handled these pro bono.
http://www.pathguy.com/abuse.htm (4 of 17) [6/5/2005 8:41:13 PM]
Addendum: July 2003.