http://www.irishhealth.com/index.html?level=4&id=1920
Irishhealth.com
March 23, 2001
Landmark 'Woods' inquiry set to end
The
biggest Medical Council inquiry of its kind in Ireland is due to come to a
close shortly, irishhealth.com has confirmed. Today's hearing has adjourned and
one final day for the inquiry has been scheduled. It has also emerged that the
report of the inquiry could be ready by early summer.
The unprecedented inquiry into allegations that a prominent doctor made false
claims of child sexual abuse involving 11 children from five families began in
October 1999.
In all cases, where the children concerned were taken into care by the health
board they were later returned, in some cases after legal action by the
families concerned. One issue to be determined in the case is whether any of
the children were unnecessarily removed from their parent's custody.
At the centre of the inquiry is Dr Moira Woods, the social campaigner and
former head of the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit at Dublin's Rotunda Hospital.
She has strenuously denied the allegations of professional misconduct and has
argued that her decisions were correct.
The complaint against Dr Woods is that she knew or ought to have known that
there were insufficient grounds for concluding that sexual abuse had take
place.
With closing submissions near an end, it will then be up to the Council's
Fitness to Practise Committee (FTPC) to rule on the case. It can clear her of
the allegations, or could ultimately rule that she is guilty and should be
suspended or struck off the register.
The cases relate to the late 80s. The first complaint made to the Medical
Council concerning Dr Wood's conduct was in 1992 from one of the fathers in the
controversy. The Medical Council decided in 1996 that there was a prima
facie case for the holding of an inquiry. The commencement of that inquiry
was held up by various legal cases.
The controversy also involves several health boards and the Rotunda Hospital,
all of whom, depending on the outcome, could face an unprecedented lawsuit.
One preliminary hearing for the inquiry was held in public in 1997 but the
inquiry proper was held in private. The Medical Council had wanted to hold the
inquiry in public but this was objected to by one of the health boards and the
objection upheld by the High Court.
However, a full report of the inquiry is to be published, with the names of the
families kept private.
The outcome of the inquiry will centre on the standard of clinical judgement
and competence demonstrated by Dr Woods in reaching her conclusions in the case
of the 11 children.
It will be based on the medical standards of conduct expected at the time among
doctors. A large number of witnesses, including international experts, gave
evidence at the inquiry.
It will be open to Dr Woods to challenge any negative decision of the Medical
Council in the courts.
While no date has been set for the ruling of the inquiry, it is understood that
it could be ready by June.