Photo from video at ABC 7, WXYZ.com.
Health Impact News
Heather Catallo of ABC7 in Detroit is reporting that a family falsely accused of child abuse by Dr. Bethany Mohr of Mott Children’s Hospital has had their case dismissed in court.
A family from Westland says when they noticed a mark on their newborn’s stomach, they took him to the doctor right away. But Allie and Jimmy Parker were stunned when a University of Michigan doctor accused them of abusing their baby.
Instead of sending them to the emergency room closest to their home, their doctor told them to go to University of Michigan hospital.
“I thought we lived in America where you were innocent until you were proven guilty,” Allie Parker told 7 Investigator Heather Catallo. “We were guilty until we proved we were innocent.”
The Parkers say they later found out that the Child Protection Team at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital had already been activated. It’s a team made up of social workers and specialists known as Child Abuse Pediatricians. Dr. Bethany Mohr is the director of that team.
The Parkers say they later learned Dylan was born with rickets and had very fragile bones. However, at the time, they could not explain his injuries to Dr. Mohr.
Child Protective Services workers removed Dylan and 1-year-old Isabella from the Parkers’ care, and for 3 weeks Allie and Jimmy were not allowed to see their babies at all.
“Parents have a constitutional right to parent their children,” said attorney Lisa Kirsch Satawa. “And when you interrupt a breast-feeding mom and child you are disrupting the bond, you’re disrupting the ability to parent.”
Satawa says she knew she needed to bring in outside experts when she saw Dr. Mohr’s statement in her report that “Dylan’s bruising is diagnostic of physical abuse.”
After 8 months and a lengthy trial, a Wayne County judge dismissed the case and apologized to the Parkers saying in his ruling, “I heard a lot deeper science from some of the other witnesses than I heard from Dr. Mohr.”
Read the full article at WXYZ.com.
Dr. Bethany Mohr, Mott Children’s Hospital. Image source.
This is not the first time readers of MedicalKidnap.com have heard about Child Abuse Specialist Dr. Bethany Mohr.
In 2016 we brought you the story of Michigan parents Josh Soto and Alexandria Burgess who had a similar experience with Dr. Mohr. See:
10-Month Old Baby Medically Kidnapped in Michigan
Photo supplied by family.
More and More People Are Beginning to See the Problems with Child Abuse Specialists Who Rip Families Apart
Heather Catallo of ABC7 in Detroit did not stop at simply reporting on the Parker’s story.
She looked further into the role of Child Abuse Specialists in the field of pediatrics, and interviewed other experts as well.
They are called Child Abuse Pediatricians, and they say their mission is to protect children. However, local parents, attorneys and even some doctors say some of these specialists are tearing families apart.
The Parker family says they were emotionally and financially devastated after a false accusation of child abuse. Their lawyer says she’s had to fight against the same Child Abuse Pediatrician who accused the Parkers about 20 times, and they want to warn other families.
“I said why can’t we get a second opinion, why is this one physician’s opinion the end all be all to your decision to terminate our parental rights,” Allie said, adding that it was just how things go because the doctor was the expert.
The Parkers are talking about Child Abuse Pediatrician Bethany Mohr from the University of Michigan’s C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital. They’re not the only family who says Dr. Mohr’s accusation of child abuse tore their family apart.
Dr. Smith volunteers his expertise for families facing abuse allegations from Child Abuse Pediatricians, including eight who have been accused by Dr. Mohr.
“I think Dr. Mohr misleads families,” Dr. Smith said. “She examines the child but she doesn’t treat any of the injuries. She will be the number one witness against the family if they’re prosecuted.”
When a Child Abuse Pediatrician interviews you, legal experts say you won’t be advised of your rights like you would if you were in police custody. However, you should know that anything you tell someone like Dr. Mohr can be used against you.
A law professor at the University of Wisconsin says Dr. Mohr’s way is a recipe for disaster.
“It’s just a recipe for error and for injustice,” said University of Wisconsin Law School Professor Keith Findley.
Findley says Child Abuse Pediatricians have a huge amount of influence with the jury, and when they make a medical diagnosis of abuse, your presumption of innocence is gone.
“So to say that doctors can diagnose the conduct and intent of some third party actor is really beyond, beyond what medicine can support,” Findley said.
Read the full article at WXYZ.com.
Health Impact News has been exposing the role of pediatric sub-specialty of Child Abuse Specialists since 2015, and their role in breaking up families. See:
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