THE DECISION to strike off Sir Roy Meadow, one of the country’s leading paediatricians, over evidence he gave at the Sally Clark trial was unjust and could put children at greater risk of abuse and murder, according to The Lancet.

Richard Horton, the medical journal’s outspoken editor, said that the General Medical Council’s judgment risked profoundly damaging child protection services.

Professor Meadow was found guilty last week of serious professional misconduct for giving erroneous and misleading evidence in the prosecution of Mrs Clark, which helped to convict her of murdering her two sons.

The GMC’s disciplinary panel found that Professor Meadow, 72, failed in his duty as an expert witness to explain the limited relevance of his findings. He told the trial that the chances of two babies suffering cot death within an affluent family was 1 in 73 million. In his testimony the paediatrician also referred to his much- disputed “Meadow’s law” on cot deaths: “one in a family is a tragedy, two is suspicious and three is murder”.

Writing in the latest issue of The Lancet, Dr Horton argues that the GMC’s decision removes any incentive for the reform of judicial procedures that fail to deal properly with expert evidence.

He states that trainee paediatricians are now less likely to seek a career in child protection, while those in the speciality may weaken their conclusions about alleged child abuse to avoid GMC intrusion. Dr Horton also accuses the GMC of making an unfair example of Professor Meadow after the Harold Shipman case to protect its own status. Dr Horton writes: “By worsening the professional conditions, children will be put at greater risk of abuse and murder.”

While conceding that the evidence given by Professor Meadow was not intended to mislead, the GMC ruled that his evidence was not balanced and erroneous. The paediatrician also contributed to the convictions of Angela Cannings and Donna Anthony, and the failed prosecution of Trupti Patel.

He has 28 days to appeal.

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