Misdiagnosis?

There was a spot on CBC Radio recently that I found interesting. It was about an article in the New York Times Magazine - I think they interviewed the author - looking at Shaken Baby Syndrome in terms of cases of people accused of   causing it, and an investigation into the scientific basis for it.

I only give a brief outline of the conclusions reached by various investigators. The signs of SBS include subdural hemorrhage  and retinal bleeding. It was found that shaking alone, in the absence of other signs of trauma such as broken ribs, bruising, neck damage, is not sufficient to produce these symptoms. However, presentation of these symptoms even in the absence of other factors, is taken as evidence of excessive shaking by medical practitioners, child welfare agencies and the legal profession.

In the cases mentioned in the article the parents were accused and charged on this basis, whereas use of the stricter criteria implied by the research would have cast doubt on the guilt of the accused.

The inference I draw from this is that in the case of horrifying crimes such as child abuse, society becomes most zealous in condemning and punishing alleged perpetrators, sometimes to excess. I am reminded of other instances of blame which were discovered to be unfounded. Dr. Charles Smith, a pathologist in Toronto, gave evidence leading to a number of people being imprisoned, his evidence later being found to be false. There was a scandal in North East England where many allegations of serious abuse turned out to be without foundation. There were stories of children being involved in satanic rites that were found to be examples of False Memory Syndrome, ie. where accounts are influenced by leading questions enthusiastically posed by welfare workers.

I don't want to diminish my or others' outrage at verified cases of child abuse, but it seems to me that there is something in human nature that is too eager to find fault wherever there is any suspicion of wrong-doing, especially in this kind of crime.

ps. Another link here.