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Irishhealth.com
April 30, 2001

Medical Council to give verdict in Woods case

Hearings in the biggest Medical Council inquiry of its kind in this country have finally ended, irishhealth.com can reveal.

The Council's Fitness to Practise Committee (FTPC) met at the weekend to hear the final submissions after over 40 days of evidence in a case where it is alleged that a prominent doctor made false claims of child sexual abuse involving 11 children from five families.

The case began in October 1999.

At the centre of the case is Dr Moira Woods, the social campaigner and former head of the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit at the Rotunda Hospital. She has strongly denied all allegations of professional misconduct.

The case was heard in private and the Council's FTPC will now consider the evidence and deliver a verdict. Given the length of the case, a ruling is not expected for some months.

The controversy relates to events in the late 80s and the first allegations concerning Dr Woods were made in 1992.

The Council can clear Dr Woods of the allegations, or it could decide to impose a penalty if she is found to be guilty of professional misconduct. The Council has been given the power to publish a full report of the inquiry, with the names of the children and families, kept private.