http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2002/0130/3038677341HMWOODS.html
The Irish Times
January 30, 2002
Medical Council finds Dr Woods guilty of professional misconduct
by Carol Coulter, Legal Affairs Correspondent
Dr Moira Woods, who pioneered the treatment of child
sex abuse in Ireland, has been found guilty of professional misconduct by the
Medical Council.
She has been censured and conditions attached to her continued registration as
a medical practitioner. The Medical Council will seek a confirmation of this
decision in the High Court in 21 days.
In a statement Dr Woods said she was disappointed at the findings, and her work
was motivated by the best interests of the children at all times. She added she
was considering her position. She can appeal the decision to the High Court.
The Medical Council's decision followed an all-day meeting yesterday, which
discussed a report from its Fitness to Practice committee. This followed an
investigation of allegations from five families, first made almost 10 years
ago, that they had been falsely accused in the 1980s of child sex abuse by Dr
Woods, who was then director of the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit in the Rotunda
Hospital. The committee's report was completed last December, and placed before
the full council yesterday. It found Dr Woods guilty of professional misconduct
in respect of 13 of a total of 55 allegations, relating to five children from
three families. Allegations relating to six other children were found not to
have been proved.
In its report the Fitness to Practice committee recommended that Dr Woods be
censured, and that conditions be attached to her continuing to practise. These
were that she undergo retraining recognised by the council, and only practise
in the child abuse area in future as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
The Medical Council did not say if it would publish the report of the Fitness
to Practice committee. It said each family involved in the inquiry would
receive, within the coming weeks, an individualised report dealing with the
section of the inquiry relating to its complaint.
In a statement issued on her behalf Dr Woods said she was disappointed by the
findings, and added: "The Sexual Assault Treatment Unit at the Rotunda
Hospital, founded in 1985 and of which Dr Woods was the first director, was a
pioneering facility in the diagnosis and understanding of sexual abuse. Dr
Woods is proud of her work at the unit and the positive role it played in the
development of such services.