Publication of pictures of patient on BMJ's website was mistake

Editorial by Smith

EDITOR—Abbasi recently wrote a news article on the widespread distribution of a picture of a radiograph of a knife embedded in Alison Kennedy's skull.1 The man who attacked Alison Kennedy was subsequently convicted of attempted murder. Reading Abbasi's article, I found it difficult to know whether to be taken aback more by its hypocrisy or its (purported) naivety. The radiograph was always going to be linked with a named person even when limited to the BMJ as this unique case was bound to get massive media coverage. It was never going to be anonymous.

Alison Kennedy gave permission for the picture “to be published only in the BMJ,” …