• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Countess of Mar asks Dept. of Health about prosecutions against parents

MeSci

ME/CFS since 1995; activity level 6?
Messages
8,231
Location
Cornwall, UK
Written question HL274: The Countess of Mar 29-06-2017

Department of Health

HL274

Her Majesty's Government how many cases of (1) Munchausen's syndrome by proxy, and (2) fabricated or induced illness, have been prosecuted against parents of children diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome in each year since 2010 for which figures are available; how many of those cases were successful; how many were withdrawn; and how many resulted in an acquittal.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/p...ents/written-question/Lords/2017-06-29/HL274/
 

Revel

Senior Member
Messages
641
My parents were given the stark choice to either allow me to be admitted to a mental hospital, aged 15, or be threatened with prosecution and have me forcibly removed from their care. They reluctantly agreed to hospitalisation, where I remained for 9 months, subjected to an appalling regime of "treatment".

Meanwhile, my parents were made to undergo the humiliating ordeal of individual therapy with a psychiatrist in order to ascertain which of them was the most to blame for inciting and supporting my imaginary illness. The whole process caused untold emotional damage to all of us that took years to come to terms with.

This was in 1980. It breaks my heart to know that little, if anything, has changed in almost 40 years. :(
 

Invisible Woman

Senior Member
Messages
1,267
This was in 1980. It breaks my heart to know that little, if anything, has changed in almost 40 years. :(

Not only does it still go on but it goes on behind closed doors. Many families feel unable or fearful about speaking out because they are afraid of the consequences.

I know that privacy is important for the protection of the child and I completely respect that but I suspect that this is also used against families.

In the UK it seems that kids can be allowed to go hungry and dirty, not attend school, some disappear completely off the radar and no one does anything. I know of someone who desperately tried to get some support from child services for a child who was at actual risk of long harm because of a (not ME) health condition that wasn't being managed, but because the child was 15 social services just dragged their feet until the kid turned 16 and so was no longer their problem. They completely ignored the hospital team.

But when it's a child with ME....when it suits their own agenda....
 

Skippa

Anti-BS
Messages
841
My parents were given the stark choice to either allow me to be admitted to a mental hospital, aged 15, or be threatened with prosecution and have me forcibly removed from their care. They reluctantly agreed to hospitalisation, where I remained for 9 months, subjected to an appalling regime of "treatment".

Meanwhile, my parents were made to undergo the humiliating ordeal of individual therapy with a psychiatrist in order to ascertain which of them was the most to blame for inciting and supporting my imaginary illness. The whole process caused untold emotional damage to all of us that took years to come to terms with.

This was in 1980. It breaks my heart to know that little, if anything, has changed in almost 40 years. :(

Grrrrrrr that is infuriating.
 

RogerBlack

Senior Member
Messages
902
The same happened to me, though I got the impression that my mother (largely due to her position as a teacher) was able to better deflect some of the criticism, and it never quite progressed to the 'forced committal' stage.
I do not have full details on what happened, I'd need to try to dig through any papers I may have from that time.
 

Revel

Senior Member
Messages
641
my mother (largely due to her position as a teacher) was able to better deflect some of the criticism, and it never quite progressed to the 'forced committal' stage.

Unfortunately, my mother had a history of depression and agoraphobia in her youth (due to the untimely death of her own mother). I don't think that the doctors even bothered to look further for a diagnosis, where I was concerned, beyond "like mother, like daughter" :meh:.

I am sorry that your adolescence was similarly affected, @RogerBlack.
 

ryan31337

Senior Member
Messages
664
Location
South East, England
Hearing stories like these make me feel very lucky. When I became sick as a child my mother eventually convinced the GP to send me to a paediatrician after a massive fight. The paediatrician acknowledged something was wrong but could only send me to a child psychiatrist...yeah, cos that's logical for a kid that loved school :confused:

Thankfully a friend of the family recommended a neurologist with interest in ME/CFS & I was fortunate enough to be covered under my parent's private health cover. I got a firm diagnosis from him, which completely appeased the authorities over my 2x years off school & limited curriculum after returning.

This was mid-late 90s so I guess I snuck in before the BPS scumbags got a grip on things...
 

Chrisb

Senior Member
Messages
1,051
I do not like to be picky on matters such as this, as I agree with the objectives, but I am not sure about the terminology used or what information is sought.

Language of "prosecuted" and "acquittal" is normally that of criminal law. Is that what is intended? I fear that the response may not relate to the information required.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
This House of Lords PQ from the Countess of Mar obviously follows on from the BBC 'File on 4' programme

Other things are happening 'behind the scenes' as a result of this programme as well

CS

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08vyly5 for anyone wondering what that File of 4 thing is. (Im only getting the voices from the program thou)

edit, its a radio show, so I assume it is only talking
 

Invisible Woman

Senior Member
Messages
1,267
I do not like to be picky on matters such as this, as I agree with the objectives, but I am not sure about the terminology used or what information is sought.

Language of "prosecuted" and "acquittal" is normally that of criminal law. Is that what is intended? I fear that the response may not relate to the information required.

I believe that is exactly what the Countess is asking about. These cases are brought to Family Court and the proceedings are heard behind closed doors. The court hears testimony from social services and "experts". I don't know if that counts as criminal vs civil law though.
 

Chrisb

Senior Member
Messages
1,051
I believe that is exactly what the Countess is asking about. These cases are brought to Family Court and the proceedings are heard behind closed doors. The court hears testimony from social services and "experts". I don't know if that counts as criminal vs civil law though.

This is the point. I don't think such cases would in general be said to involve prosecution or acquittal.
 

Invisible Woman

Senior Member
Messages
1,267
This is the point. I don't think such cases would in general be said to involve prosecution or acquittal.

I believe they are. As far as I am aware parents are at risk of prosecution. If found guilty then the child may be removed from them. Or at least the legal right to make decisions for the child.

I don't know if we have any lawyers who can answer this for us?