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JUSTICE Out OF BALANCE JUSTICE OuT BALANCE The theory of munchausen syndrome by proxy, used to blame mothers for hard- to-diagnose illnesses in their children, has been strongly discredited in the UK and Queensland but is mistakenly still regarded as a valid "label" in prosecuting many child protection cases. — Exodus 22.18 uring the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I in England in the 16th and 17th centuries, laws were passed against witchcraft. Under the provisions of these laws, some 70,000 witches were put to death. Alleged witches were searched out, then tortured so that they confessed. They were condemned to death after a superficial trial using hearsay and speculative evidence. There were mass witch burnings. Alice Molland is said to be the last witch executed, in 1685. What kind of insanity was this? Were the authorities ignorant and overzealous? Is history now repeating itself? The injustices of MSBP profiling Consider this. If you are a mother with a young child who has a very difficult-to- diagnose illness, you may find yourself looking down the aggressive barrel of a child protection agency that will take your child into foster care. The courts state that you will only have very limited supervised contact with your child again, if at all. There is no evidence that you caused the child's illness—just speculation and supposition. (Often these very sick children are prematurely born, may have congenital or genetic problems or may have suffered an adverse reaction to drugs; or the parent may have challenged a doctor's medical treatment.) Such a scene is happening in many countries—Australia, Germany, New Zealand, UK, USA and elsewhere. It is happening without evidence; it is speculative, circumstantial and prejudicial, operating in the same manner as the witch-hunts of old. It is happening as a consequence of the theories of influential British paediatrician Professor Sir Roy Meadow, who introduced the medical child abuse theory known as Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy (MSBP) in the Lancet in 1977.' It now has currency by other names, including "factitious illness", "paediatric falsification disorder" and the like. No matter what it is called, these nomenclatures link back to Meadow's MSBP theory. While munchausen syndrome (named after the 18th-century German figure Baron von Miinchhausen, famous for his "tall stories") is where one is alleged to be causing prob- lems in oneself, e.g., self harm, or to present oneself at hospital too many times, mun- chausen syndrome by proxy is where one is alleged to be causing problems in another per- son, usually one's child. In most cases, it is the mother who is alleged to be causing med- ical problems in her child or requiring what is said to be unnecessary medical treatment for the child. Doctors often don't know what is causing the child's medical problems, so they blame the mother. Generally, in 95% of cases, it is the mother—not the father—who is accused because she tends to be the principal care-giver and therefore has greater access to the child. The MSBP theory has favour in powerful sections of the medical profession, child protection, academia, law enforcement and the judiciary. However, according to medical sociologist Dr Helen Hayward-Brown, it is a nightmare waiting on the doorstep of every family with a sick child.? Hayward-Brown was awarded her doctorate for investigating false allegations of munchausen syndrome by proxy, with many of her case studies based in Australia. "Ordinary mothers and fathers are being accused of child abuse because their children have an illness that some paediatricians cannot diagnose, or the parents strongly question the doctor over the child's treatment. The parents are refused the Email: nott_michael@yahoo.com.au NEXUS + 37 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. by Michael Nott © 2004 OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 2004 www.nexusmagazine.com