Prof. Southall who accused Stephen Clark of murder agrees to GMC continuing sanctions

Paediatrician Professor David Southall, 59, watched a Channel 4 Despatches documentary about the Sally Clark case in April 2000. The film highlighted weaknesses in the case against Sally Clark and her husband appeared in the film who was campaigning for his wife's release. In the film Stephen was interviewed and he described a nosebleed that his son Christopher had had in a London hotel in 1996. Christopher died at home nine days after the hotel incident.

Southall subsequently publicly accused Mr Clark the husband of solicitor Sally Clark of murdering their children as he had concluded that the father must have tried to smother Christopher just before the bleeding. He contacted the child protection team and later wrote a report claiming that Mr Clark's guilt was "certain or near-certain."

Southall had no previous involvement with the investigation into the deaths of the couple's children - other than presumably reading what was publicly available. Southall went to the Police and told them that it was "beyond reasonable doubt" that Steve Clark murdered his sons, Christopher and Harry. he also provided a written report explaining his reasons for reaching that conclusion. This is a claim for which has has not apologised for to Mr Clark and has refused to withdraw or entertain any caveats, when requested to do so by the GMC review panel. It is also a claim which the Police or the CPS have not seriously pursued... although of course Mr Clark was initially charged by the Police with the children's murders, but the the charges were dropped at an early stage in the investigation.

At the time Dr Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon and a member of the science and technology select committee, said: "Doctors have a duty to report to the appropriate authorities legitimate concerns they may have about the health and welfare of children.

"What has been lost in the coverage of this case is that the doctor concerned has been criticised for the nature and style of his reporting to the child protection authorities and not the fact that he did it."

Stephen Clark issued a press release at the time through Sue Stapely his publicist which is available here at the Sally Clark website.

The GMC have previously (Aug 2004) forbidden Southall from working on child protection cases for 3 years after he was found guilty of serious professional misconduct in 2004 and was declared to have been "irresponsible, inappropriate and misleading". after Mr Clark complained to the GMC.

A further review meeting held today at the General Medical Council (GMC) headquarters in Manchester heard that Southall will not contest an application to extend that ban for a further 12 months.

Southall was present, but said nothing his lawyer, Alison Foster QC, said Southall will "freely accept" restrictions banning him from working on child protection cases.

"We would submit there's been no substantial change in Dr Southall's position," Mr Tyson QC Counsel for Mr Clark, told the hearing. "He still thinks he was right to do what he did and this, we submit, shows a continuing lack of the necessary insight or he's a man who doesn't change his mind easily." Previously Tyson had said Professor Southall was an arrogant, dogmatic and "very dangerous doctor" who did not deserve his place in the medical profession.

Dr Southall is currently facing further disciplinary proceedings following an allegation he kept more than 4,000 "special cases" files about children.

It is alleged these documents were not stored on a proper hospital file and some cases later involved criminal prosecutions.

The attorney general (who is of course now the unelected and snooty Baroness Scotland and not the discredited war criminal Lord Goldsmith) is reviewing all the cases in which Dr Southall appeared as a prosecution witness.

Southall pioneered the use of covert video surveillance (CVS) to detect cases of Munchausen's Disease by Proxy which led to a total of 33 parents or step-parents being prosecuted.

It is difficult, if not impossible to imagine a worse libel than to be accused of murder of your children ... Mr Clark, whilst pursuing Southall relentlessly for his claims has not yet taken the opportunity to sue him for libel or defamation.

Southall was appointed OBE for his work in refugee camps during the Bosnian conflict. He donates half of his £140-an-hour fees as an expert witness to his charity, Child Advocacy International, which runs children's medical projects all over the world. You can help a child by becoming a Friend for £12 per month.