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THE SOUTHALL AFFAIR
Children are abused—both overtly and covertly. Paediatricians must be able to investigate allegations of child abuse in an atmosphere in which they are afforded some protection from being wrong. They will make mistakes —and these errors will have tragic consequences for all involved—particularly the families. Unfortunately, uncertainty is common in the field of child abuse.

I have watched from afar, and had numerous conversations during my frequent trips to London with my UK colleagues about the General Medical Council (GMC) and Professor David Southall. As you are aware in early December 2007, the GMC ruled that Professor Southall can no longer practice medicine—he was erased from the medical register. I find it difficult to reconcile this decision with Professor Southall’s preeminent international standing in the field of child protection. His seminal paper, involving covert video surveillance of families, published in Pediatrics in 1997, remains one of the classic papers on . . . [Full text of this article]