False allegations of child abuse are tearing apart families and sending innocent people to prison. The University of Michigan and Mott Children’s Hospital play an important role in teaching new generations of medical personnel and performing research in child abuse. Their child abuse pediatricians and medical examiners are often key witnesses in trials.
Torn Families, an organization, founded to raise awareness about false allegations of child abuse, particularly those involving shaken baby syndrome, took the opportunity at the meeting of the University of Michigan Board of Regents to speak to them about this very important issue.
Torn Families, an organization, founded to raise awareness about false allegations of child abuse, particularly those involving shaken baby syndrome, took the opportunity at the meeting of the University of Michigan Board of Regents to speak to them about this very important issue.
They began with a picket line outside the Michigan Union to raise awareness. They warned parents that they may need a lawyer if they take their child to the emergency room with an injury. Brenda Burns who’s husband was sent to jail for allegedly shaking their 10 week old daughter holds a sign saying “Child to ER, Dad to Jail”.
Supporters of the Geers family were also there to tell their story of how an incidental finding of a rib fracture nearly broke up their family.
The public speakers began by telling three stories of how false allegations of child abuse affected families and care givers.
The public speakers began by telling three stories of how false allegations of child abuse affected families and care givers.
Melissa Geers and her husband were accused of child abuse when a child abuse pediatrician made a report, without ever having seen or spoken them or their 5 children, saying that a healing rib fracture in 4 month old Joshua was a definite sign of abuse. You can read more about their case here; http://healthimpactnews.com/2015/michigan-family-traumatized-by-cps-in-medical-kidnapping-of-twins/
Brenda Burns told the regents how she and her husband visited the emergency room several times after their 10 week old daughter began vomiting and were told that it was stomach flu. After 9 days in the hospital and many tests, the doctors finally told them that they had misread the MRI scan of Naomi’s head and that she in fact had blood on the surface of her brain. The child abuse pediatrician ignored the fact of Naomi’s very traumatic birth and the fact that much of the blood was old blood, dating back to her birth and claimed that Brenda’s husband, Joshua had violently shaken Naomi. He was charged with child abuse and is spending one year in jail. Read more here:
http://tornfamily.com/2015/01/a-family-torn-apart/
http://tornfamily.com/2015/01/a-family-torn-apart/
Rosanna Hoffman ran a successful daycare for more than 20 years. One day an infant in her care had a seizure. Doctors told the prosecutors that the baby must have been violently shaken within minutes to hours before the seizure and blamed Rosanna. They ignored the fact that the bleeding had begun weeks to months before the child had been in Rosanna’s care and that the child had a head circumference that had been growing very rapidly since birth. This was a known factor that can predispose to bleeding on the surface of the brain. She went to trial, facing a possible life sentence, and had to prove herself innocent against a barrage of testimony from doctors who were true believers in shaken baby syndrome. The jury was convinced and she was acquitted on all charges but she still faces bankruptcy, debt, the loss of her business and the continuing belief by some in the community that she must still be guilty. You can read more about her case here; http://www.washtenawwatchdogs.com/a-dangerous-rush-to-judgement-of-child-abuse/a-dangerous-rush-to-judgement-of-child-abuse
Regent Denise Illitch showed her interest and asked Brenda and Melissa to answer some questions.
Several members of the Torn Families Foundation then discussed issues such as the affect these types of cases had on the fear in the community about taking their child to the emergency room with an injury. The also discussed the responsibility of the University of Michigan for research and teaching about child abuse.
Several members of the Torn Families Foundation then discussed issues such as the affect these types of cases had on the fear in the community about taking their child to the emergency room with an injury. The also discussed the responsibility of the University of Michigan for research and teaching about child abuse.