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 Italy.

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.