Sally Clark
The Sunday Times of 2 June, 2002 reported that the GMC has agreed to
re-open its investigation into the complaints made by Martin Bell OBE about
the performance and conduct of Dr.Alan Williams and Professor Michael Green,
the two Home Office pathologists whom even the Prosecution admitted made
extremely serious errors in the case.
These complaints were originally made in December 2000, when Martin Bell was
Sally's MP. The GMC rejected them in January, 2002, without consulting any
of the paediatric experts who gave evidence at the trial, who were scathing
in their criticisms of the initial pathology. On that basis, Martin Bell
asked the GMC to reconsider their decision.
Sally and her family are very pleased that the GMC have now changed their
minds to agree with Martin Bell that the conduct of the two doctors was,
indeed, sufficiently serious to merit a referral to the GMC's Preliminary
Proceedings Committee. They hope that these complaints will now be
expedited, and be investigated properly and thoroughly- 18 months after the
original complaints were made.
Martin Bell gave an interview to GMR on Monday 3 June, when he explained the
reasons for his involvement and confirmed his absolute belief in Sally's
innocence.
Sally and her family would like to stress that they, themselves, have sought
no publicity about Martin Bell's complaints to the GMC, because they felt
that it would not be right or proper for them to try to seek to influence
the GMC through the media. They understand that it was the GMC which
informed The Sunday Times about their decision to re-open their
investigation.
(c)
Copyright 2002 Times Newspapers Ltd.
For the full article, visit
This page at
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/.
Here we quote a few sentences from the article.
June 02, 2002
Doctors' inquiry reopens double cot death case
Lois Rogers, Medical Correspondent
Two doctors whose controversial medical evidence led to the conviction of a mother for murdering her two babies are being investigated by the General Medical Council (GMC).
Campaigners protesting the innocence of Sally Clark, who received a life sentence in 1999 for killing 11-week-old Christopher and eight-week-old Harry, hope the inquiries could lend weight to their claims.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission is also expected to pronounce within the month on other evidence that could lead to Clark's case being returned to the Court of Appeal.
Last week's decision by the GMC to investigate the evidence of Alan Williams and Michael Green, the two pathologists involved in the case, is the result of campaigning by Clark's family and Martin Bell, the former BBC journalist and independent MP for Tatton.
Williams initially said Harry had died from being shaken and then changed his finding to smothering during the trial. Green, professor of forensic pathology at Sheffield University, who has since retired, also changed his opinion about the cause of death.
The GMC confirmed last week it had reviewed the further information from Bell along with the information previously available, which could lead to charges of serious professional misconduct against the two doctors.