Top scientists question basis for Victoriaâs baby shaking prosecutions
Weâre sorry, this service is currently unavailable. Please try again later.
Dismiss
Save
Normal text size
Advertisement
Top Victorian pathologists have raised doubts about the scientific evidence relied on to jail a number of men for shaking babies to death, raising serious questions about whether their convictions were sound.
Three men jailed in Victoria since 2018 for child homicide or recklessly causing serious injury have launched or are about to launch appeals that challenge the basis of shaken baby syndrome, a collection of three injuries said to point to abuse as the cause of harm to infants in their care. The existence of the syndrome has been called into question globally but remains widely accepted by Victorian police, forensic specialists and child abuse experts.