Child Abuse Pediatrician Testimony Rips a South Carolina Family Apart

One doctor says that the ONLY way a child's injuries could happen is by "brute force." Other doctors can look at the same data and say that that the injuries could have been caused by an accident, metabolic disorder, nutritional deficiency, infection, or other non-abusive mechanism. When these two perspectives collide, then justice demands that we examine other evidence. Is there a history of violence? Is there other evidence of abuse? Has anyone witnessed abuse? What about the perspective of those who know the accused - is abuse consistent with the character of the person who is accused? All too often, parents lose their children to Child Protective Services, often permanently, and others have gone to prison based on the testimony of one particular kind of doctor - a Child Abuse Pediatrician (CAP) - even though there is no other evidence that the parents have abused their child. Robbie and Jennifer Ray of South Carolina are facing just such a scenario. Dr. Susan Lamb, CAP at Palmetto Health Children's Hospital, says that the only possible explanation for the couple's twins' injuries is child abuse, even though other doctors and their families disagree. Jennifer Ray told Health Impact News: "If there is no evidence to prove physical abuse, then you need to second guess the diagnosis [made by the child abuse doctor]."