Irish Examiner
February 22 2002
Fathers to challenge medical council
by Fionnuala Quinlan
Three
fathers accused of sexually abusing their children by a doctor who was last
month found guilty of professional misconduct are to take the Irish Medical
Council to the High Court. The council found the former head of the Rotunda's
sexual assault unit Dr Moira Woods guilty of 13 out of 55 allegations of
misconduct in relation to her diagnosis of sexual abuse, but yesterday
confirmed it will not make its report public.
Allegations of professional misconduct in relation to members of three families
were upheld, but allegations levelled by members of two other families were
found not to have been proved beyond reasonable doubt.
It emerged yesterday Dr Woods, who had 21 days to appeal the council's ruling
to the High Court, will not do so. Dr Woods has not been struck off the
register, but she must practise under certain conditions. However, Dr Woods has
retired and is understood to spend most of her time in
The council pledged to make the parts of the report dealing with the five
families available to them individually, but have not done so, according to
Eddie Hernon spokesman for the parents.
A court ruling permits the Irish Medical Council to make the report public,
provided the names of the families are removed. But Mr Hernon
said the three fathers whose allegations against Dr Woods were upheld now plan
to take the council to court in a bid to force them to publish the full report
of the longest-running fitness to practise inquiry in the council's history.
"Without a shadow of a doubt we will take them to court. This is
outrageous behaviour," Mr Hernon said.
The full report and the transcripts of the hearings, which were held in
private, should be published on the grounds that they are important public
documents, he said. Meanwhile, the families will continue to lobby for a full
statutory inquiry into the case, he said.
Irish Medical Council registrar Brian Lea yesterday declined to comment on Dr
Woods' case, but said where a doctor decided not to appeal a ruling, the
council asks the High Court to confirm its ruling.
The medical council does not publish reports of its fitness to practise
committee, he said.