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This
page last updated June 13 2004
2002-1215 - Sunday Times - In
the worst of health
New June 13 2004
The Medical Council
has criticised management at the sexual assault treatment unit at the Rotunda
hospital in Dublin over its role in the child sexual abuse controversy
involving Dr Moira Woods. Almost a year after it found Woods guilty of
professional misconduct, the Medical Council yesterday said some mistakes
were made by the management of the treatment unit
2002-1214
- RTE Interactive News - Rotunda criticised for role in abuse case
The Medical Council has criticised management at the Sexual Assault Treatment
Unit at the Rotunda Hospital for its role in the child sexual abuse
controversy involving Dr Moira Woods
2002-1214
- Irish Times - Problems in assault unit could recur
by Nuala Haughey - The problems identified in the Sexual assault Treatment
Unit (SATU) in the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin when it was headed by Dr Moira
Woods have the potential to recur, a report from the Medical Council has
found. The report is critical of poor management structures within which the
unit operated under the charge of Dr Woods, who was last January found guilty
by the Medical Council of professional misconduct.
2002-1100 - Irish
Medical Council - Statement
It is the view of the Medical Council that in assessing and treating children
Dr. Woods was obliged to follow basic and well-recognised medical principles
and to ensure that the process of differential diagnosis was followed. In
certain cases, Council found that Dr. Woods failed to show and apply the
standards of clinical judgement and competence required of a doctor in her
position. Specifically, the Fitness to Practise Committee found that Dr.
Woods failed to gather all the available evidence and/or did not follow the
protocols established by SATU and/or failed to review additional information
received after preliminary findings had been reached. Dr. Woods faced 55
charges of which 13 were found to have been proven. In January 2002, the
Medical Council accepted the finding of professional misconduct made by the
Fitness to Practise Committee. The Medical Council censured Dr. Woods and
imposed conditions on her registration.
2002-0901 - Sunday Tribune -
And still the families wait for support
New June 13 2004
by Martin Wall - Last
year, the medical profession's governing body, the Medical Council, made a
finding of professional misconduct against prominent medic and social
campaigner Dr Moira Woods who headed the Sexual Assault Treatment Centre at
the Rotunda Hospital in the late 1980s and who diagnosed some of these
children. The families are now seeking a full statutory public inquiry into
the way this unit at the Rotunda
Hospital was run
between 1985 and 1988.
2002-0700 - Magill
Magazine - Fit to practise
Phil Mac Giolla Bhain - It would be a crass mistake to believe that Moira
Woods was some off-the-wall maverick who got it terribly wrong. In the wake
of the report of the Medical Council's Fitness to Practise Committee, there was
much blather about structures being different now - multi-disciplinary
working-peer reviews, etc, etc. What hasn't changed since the time of Moira
Woods is the worldview of the vast majority of those "practising"
child protection. If any thing, this has got worse. The current child
protection system is largely premised on the "fact" that children
are, ordinarily, at risk from the nearest available male, usually the father.
The fact - yes, fact - that children are now and always have been statistically
more at risk from the mother is ignored.
2002-0610 - Irish Times - Child
Sex Abuse Investigations
New June 13 2004
by John O'Shea - I
had hoped that the finding of the Medical Council regarding Dr Moira Woods
earlier in the year would open up debate on the reliability of current
methods for investigating allegations of child sex abuse. Sadly this has not
happened. The general perception seems to be that, while mistakes may have
been made in the past, we have moved on and now have a reliable system.
Unfortunately this is not so, although perhaps we would like to believe it
is, so we can comfortably leave this difficult subject to those who tell us
they know best how to deal with it.
2002-0414 - Irish Times -
Dr Woods Inquiry
New June 13 2004
By Dr A. Delaney, - I
read in your edition of April 12th a report by Dr Muiris Houston that a group
of more than 50 doctors have written to the Medical Council to express
concern at the manner in which Dr Moira Woods's fitness to practice inquiry
was carried out. I hope that they would be equally concerned for the number
of fathers whose children were taken away from them when they were wrongly
considered to have abused their children as a direct result of Dr Moira
Woods's examinations -
2002-0412 - Irish Times -
Doctors concerned at Woods inquiry
New June 13 2004
by Dr Muiris Houston
- A group of doctors have written to the president of the Medical Council to
express their concern at the manner in which the Dr Moira Woods fitness to
practise inquiry was carried out. And they have said that, as a result, many
doctors in the State will be reluctant to get involved in the area of child
abuse
2002-0405 - Irish Times -
Doctors concerned over Woods inquiry
New June 13 2004
by Dr Muiris Houston
- Doctors at the annual general meeting of the Irish Medical Organisation
have expressed concern at the Medical Council's behaviour in the recent Dr
Moira Woods inquiry
2002-0313 - Irish Times - Dr Woods
And Medical Council
New June 13 2004
by Edward P. Hernon -
The complainants involved in the inquiry were most disappointed at Dr Woods's
decision not to appeal the findings and recommendations imposed on her by the
Fitness to Practise Committee of the Medical Council. An appeal would have ensured
a re-hearing of the particular cases in the High Court - and, more
importantly, in public, exactly as the complainants and the Medical Council
wanted in the first place
2002-0304 -
Irishhealth - High Court confirms Woods penalty
Today in court, the finding of misconduct and the penalty against Dr Woods
was confirmed, following an application by the Medical Council
2002-0301
- Irishhealth - Medical Council will publish Woods report
In a surprise development, the Medical Council has now decided that it will
publish the report of the inquiry into Dr Moira Woods, found guilty of
professional misconduct
2002-0227 - Irish Times - Dr Woods
And Medical Council
New June 13 2004
by Clodagh Corcoran -
I read the conclusions of the Medical Council's fitness to practise committee
regarding Dr Moira Woods, and also her decision not to appeal their judgment
(The Irish Times, February 20th), with great sadness. As a member of the
ground-breaking ICCL working party on child sexual abuse, Moira Woods showed
unfailing courage and inspiration in her child-centred approach when dealing
with parents who came to her in overwhelming numbers seeking help and advice.
Her common sense, pragmatism and sense of humour kept all our feet on the
ground during a very difficult time.
2002-0226 - Irish Times - Dr Woods
And Medical Council
New June 13 2004
by Nora Geraghty - Dr
Woods is a well qualified doctor. She could have decided to make a lot of
money quietly from private patients. Instead, she worked in the Dublin Well
Woman Centre, dealing with rape victims referred to her, before she was
appointed head of the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit
2002-0223 - The Mirror - Abuse
claim Dads' anger
New June 13 2004
by Jenny Friel - Three
fathers who claim they were wrongly accused of sexually abusing their
children are to take the Irish Medical Council to the High Court. Dr Moira
Woods, former head of the Rotunda sex abuse unit in Dublin, had several allegations of
professional misconduct upheld against her last month. But the council
refuses to make public the results of its investigation into Dr Woods'
findings.
2002-0222
- Irish Examiner - 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
2002-0220 - Irish Times -
Woods not to appeal finding of misconduct
New June 13 2004
Dr Moira Woods,
former head of the Sexual Assault Trauma Unit at the Rotunda Hospital in
Dublin, is not to appeal a finding of professional misconduct by the Medical
Council's Fitness to Practise Committee
2002-0220
- Irishhealth - Woods not to appeal misconduct finding
by Fergal Bowers - A prominent doctor, who was recently found guilty of
professional misconduct for the manner in which she diagnosed alleged child
sexual abuse, has opted not to appeal the decision to the High Court
2002-0219
- Irish Examiner - Falsely accused families seek inquiry
by Evelyn Ring - Nothing short of a full public statutory inquiry will
satisfy the families falsely accused of child sex abuse who insist the State
must be held accountable. Eddie Hernon of VOCAL Ireland said people like him
had their lives destroyed by Dr Moira Woods in the 1980s when she headed the
Sexual Assault Trauma Unit in the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin
2002-0213 - Irish Times -
Victims Of Abuse
New June 13 2004
by John O'Shea,
Killarney, Co Kerry - Breda O'Brien (February 9th) should be applauded for
the level-headed approach she brings to matters pertaining to child sex abuse
and for her courageous voice of reason in an area where judgment is too often
clouded by emotion
2002-0205
- Irish Examiner - Recognising Woods' good efforts does not mitigate her
wrongdoing
by Ronan Mullen - excerpt: “Woods did
good in the many cases where she properly found abuse. But the issues are
wider than that and campaigning journalists and doctors who do pioneering
work should also be subject to scrutiny. Perhaps they might read the latest
Sunday Tribune which contains the harrowing tale of one of Moira Woods'
mistakes”
2002-0204
- Irish Times - When reason gives way to psychobabble
by John Waters - It will have come as a surprise to many people that one of
the supposed "sanctions" imposed by the Medical Council on Dr Moira
Woods, following its Fitness to Practise Committee's decision to find her
guilty of professional misconduct, was that she should in future engage in
child protection work only as part of an expert multi-disciplinary team. Most
people would imagine this should have been happening in the first place
2002-0203 - Sunday Business
Post - Woods: zealous campaigner who has lived with controversy
by Emily O' Reilly - The Medical Council's Fitness to Practise Committee last
week found Woods guilty of professional misconduct in relation to her work in
the sexual assault unit. Some media reports on the unpublished committee
report have stated that it found that Woods had made false allegations of
sexual abuse. However, it is understood that while Woods was found not to
have observed proper protocols, it makes no claims about the validity of the
accusations.
2002-0202
- Irish Times - Parents were devastated by false accusations
by Alison Healy - What's it like to be accused wrongly of sexually abusing
your children? Some of the victims of Dr Moira Woods's faulty diagnosis told
Alison Healy.
2002-0202
- Irish Times - Guidelines and practice in dealing with abuse are now more
refined
by Carol Coulter - Methods of diagnosing and treating child sexual abuse have
changed since the practices criticised by the Medical Council in the case of
Dr Moira Woods
2002-0201
- Irishhealth - Council wants power to hold public hearings
by Fergal Bowers - The Medical Council, which polices the behaviour of
doctors, has said that it would like to have the absolute power to hold
inquiries in public. Currently, as the law stands, an inquiry can only be
held in public if the doctor agrees to this
2002-0131 -
Irish Times - Medical inquiry cost over £750,000
by Alison Healy - The Medical Council's five-year inquiry into the conduct of
Dr Moira Woods sat for 43 days and cost over £750,000, the council said
yesterday
2002-0130
- Irish Times - Medical Council finds Dr Woods guilty of professional
misconduct
by Carol Coulter - Dr Moira Woods, who pioneered the treatment of child sex
abuse in Ireland, has been found guilty of professional misconduct by the
Medical Council
2002-0130 -
Irishhealth - Council to issue Woods reports
by Fergal Bowers - The Medical Council has upheld 13 of 55 allegations of
professional misconduct by Dr Moira Woods, for improper diagnosis of child
sexual abuse in a number of children.
2002-0130
- Irish Examiner - Medical council report must be published
Parents will take a profound interest in the Medical
Council’s ruling in the case of a doctor who wrongly accused five fathers of
sexually abusing their children
2002-0129
- RTE News - Fitness to practice inquiry into doctor concludes
The Medical Council is continuing to discuss what sanctions to impose on the
doctor and social campaigner Dr Moira Woods. The doctors' professional body
has found her guilty of professional misconduct for her handling of some
cases of alleged child abuse in the 1980s
2002-0129
- RTE Interactive News - Medical Council censures Dr Woods
The Irish Medical Council has censured Dr Moira Woods for professional misconduct,
and set a series of conditions on her registration
2002-0128 - UK Mens
Network - Request for Support
I make no apologies for repeating this call for groups around the world who
care about our children to send a simple message of support to be read out at
the public meeting in Dublin on Monday evening 4 February
2002-0128 -
Irish Times - Questioning the doctor's orders
by John Waters - The issue at the core of the Dr Moira Woods case is: should
doctors, or indeed anyone, be given the powers of God? Tomorrow, the Medical Council meets to
discuss whether it will make public the report of its Fitness to Practise
Committee, which it is now known has found Dr Woods guilty of professional
misconduct in relation to her handling of certain child abuse allegations in
the 1980s
2002-0128
- Irish Independent - Families wrongly accused of abuse call for inquiry
by Eilish O'Regan - Health Minister, Michael Martin, is to be asked to set up
a sworn public inquiry into the actions of retired GP Dr Moira Woods, who is
facing sanction this week after being found guilty of professional misconduct
2002-0127
- Sunday Independent - Doctor faces censure for misconduct
by Fergal Bowers - The Irish Medical Council will meet next week to decide
whether to publish a report on the biggest inquiry of its kind in this
country. The case involves Dr Moira Woods, the social campaigner and former
head of the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit at the Rotunda
Hospital in Dublin. It was alleged that Dr Woods made
improper findings of sexual abuse involving 11 children from five families.
At the inquiry she strongly rejected the claims and allegations of
professional misconduct, insisting that her actions were clinically justified
and in keeping with the standards of the time.
2002-0126
- Irish Times - Woods found guilty of professional misconduct in abuse cases
By Carol Coulter - Dr Moira Woods has been found guilty of professional
misconduct by the Medical Council's Fitness to Practise Committee
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