Keeping mum over child abuse

doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7483.152

BMJ 2005;330:152 (15 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7483.152

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Keeping mum over child abuse

Is media coverage of Munchausen syndrome by proxy putting childrenat risk?

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Just before Christmas the media moved rapidly to cover the sensationalstory of the "controversial diagnosis" of Munchausen syndromeby proxy, coverage in which the main villains of the piece seemedto be paediatricians hell bent on destroying families. Thisfollowed a statement by the attorney general that there was"cause for concern" and that appeals could be made in 28 outof 297 cases after a review of cases of children taken intocare in the wake of the quashing of the Angela Cannings' convictionfor murder ( BMJ 2004;329: 1256[Free Full Text]).

On 20 December the Daily Telegraph devoted a full page to afirst person account by Angela Cannings, who was released fromprison a year ago after the Court of Appeal overturned her convictionsfor murdering two baby sons. Yet what this article, and thesubsequent raft of media coverage, failed to report . . . [Full text of this article]

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Raj Persaud, Gresham professor for public understanding of psychiatry

Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals, London

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Rapid Responses:

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Misconceptions: Penny Mellor
bmj.com, 15 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Children forgotten? No. Traumatised and kidnapped? Yes.: C Johnson
bmj.com, 15 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Why should people love or trust this system?: John Stone
bmj.com, 15 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Re: Misconceptions: Dr John Rumbold
bmj.com, 15 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Keeping mum about flawed theories - helped by secret courts: Lisa C Blakemore-Brown
bmj.com, 16 Jan 2005 [Full text]
'Munchausen's by proxy' and allegations of infanticide: Ed Cooper
bmj.com, 16 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Re: Re: Misconceptions: Penny Mellor
bmj.com, 18 Jan 2005 [Full text]
MSBP MYTH RESURRECTED: Michael D Innis
bmj.com, 16 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Our Society cares greatly!.: Charles Pragnell
bmj.com, 17 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Oh dear, oh dear, Raj Persaud: Mark Struthers
bmj.com, 17 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Pity the children: Mark Struthers
bmj.com, 18 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Re: Oh dear, oh dear, Raj Persaud: Rita Dr Pal
bmj.com, 18 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Families denied Justice: Michael D Innis
bmj.com, 18 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Re: 'Munchausen's by proxy' and allegations of infanticide: Penny Mellor
bmj.com, 18 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Misconceptions: Dr John Rumbold
bmj.com, 18 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Misconceptions: Penny Mellor
bmj.com, 18 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Misconceptions: John Stone
bmj.com, 19 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Personal Experience: John Chapman
bmj.com, 19 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Re: Personal Experience: John Stone
bmj.com, 20 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Warning to anyone thinking of posting a response: Chapman John
bmj.com, 20 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Re: Personal Experience: Penny Mellor
bmj.com, 21 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Infant deaths and the media: Robert Scott-Jupp
bmj.com, 21 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Re: Warning to anyone thinking of posting a response: Penny Mellor
bmj.com, 21 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Re: Infant deaths and the media: Mark Struthers
bmj.com, 21 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Re: Infant deaths and the media: John Stone
bmj.com, 22 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Re: Infant deaths and the media: David & Davina Hollisey-Mclean
bmj.com, 23 Jan 2005 [Full text]