Meadow row sparks shake-up of expert witnesses

A complete overhaul of medical evidence in cases of alleged child abuse was unveiled by the Government today.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson will lead the review after several acquittals of women wrongfully convicted of murdering their children.

Angela Cannings, Sally Clark and Trupti Patel were all jailed chiefly on the discredited evidence of Professor Sir Roy Meadow that several cot deaths in a family were grounds to believe murder had been committed.

Children's Minister Margaret Hodge told the Commons the review will set a standard of competence for medical expert witnesses.

Mrs Hodge said that out of 5,000 current cases of suspected abuse, only one unnamed council had reversed a care order and handed the child back to parents. Only 47 cases involved disputed evidence. The minister announced a new survey into 30,000 historic cases.

Mrs Hodge said: "The concerns surrounding reliability of expert witnesses are ... substantial and are worsening the already acute problem courts are experiencing."

Sir Liam will report to ministers early next year,

Sir Roy developed the theory women may deliberately harm their babies to draw attention to themselves. He called the condition "Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy".

Mrs Hodge said she would order a review of cases involving Dr Colin Paterson, a discredited expert struck off this year over his theory of temporary brittle bone disease in children.