Discredited child pathologist Charles Smith has started testifying at a public inquiry probing systemic errors in pediatric forensics in Ontario.
Dr. Charles Smith has begun answering questions in person for the first time since an expert panel found problems in 20 of 45 child deaths he handled between 1991 and 2001.
(CBC) "I am here to take full responsibility for my work," he told reporters as he arrived Monday at the inquiry in Toronto.
Smith has stayed out of sight since a panel of international forensic experts revealed extensive problems with his work involving suspicious child deaths during criminal proceedings between 1991 and 2001.
The inquiry, led by Justice Stephen Goudge, began last fall after the panel discovered errors in 20 of 45 cases Smith handled during the period.
In many of the cases, people were falsely accused of killing children, while others were convicted and spent time in jail before being exonerated or released.
His lawyer made an apology on his behalf on the day the inquiry began in November, saying Smith "sincerely regrets these mistakes and apologizes to all who may have been affected by his errors."
Smith's lawyer has maintained that the doctor's mistakes were made honestly and without intention to harm or obstruct investigations — a claim that infuriates many of the individuals and families tragically affected by his questionable work.
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(CBC)
Smith has stayed out of sight since a panel of international forensic experts revealed extensive problems with his work involving suspicious child deaths during criminal proceedings between 1991 and 2001.
The inquiry, led by Justice Stephen Goudge, began last fall after the panel discovered errors in 20 of 45 cases Smith handled during the period.
In many of the cases, people were falsely accused of killing children, while others were convicted and spent time in jail before being exonerated or released.
His lawyer made an apology on his behalf on the day the inquiry began in November, saying Smith "sincerely regrets these mistakes and apologizes to all who may have been affected by his errors."
Smith's lawyer has maintained that the doctor's mistakes were made honestly and without intention to harm or obstruct investigations — a claim that infuriates many of the individuals and families tragically affected by his questionable work.
Full story
Is an apology from Dr. Smith enough?
More...