Tuesday, March 18, 2008

My Apology (Sort Of) (2oo8)

TAKEN FROM JANUARY 28th, 2008 Transcript from the Goudge Inquiry.

During the Inquiry this day all apologies were said where he felt they needed to go. Each apology was said facing his lawyer Ms. Langford not those that he was apologizing too.

I said to the reporters "His apology is not sincere. If he meant it he would have looked at us the ones he affected who were all sitting in the Inquiry Room at that time. Not once did he make any effort to look at us."


MS. JANE LANGFORD: The reviewers, Dr. Smith, concluded that the cause of death should have been labelled "undetermined," but they also opined that Joshua likely suffocated accidentally as a result of his unsafe sleeping arrangements. Did you consider that as a possible explanation for Joshua's death at the time?

DR. CHARLES SMITH: Well, I did; I -- I recognized that unsafe sleep environments were a possible cause.

Certainly at that time I was aware that things like waterbeds were -- were dangerous or a potentially dangerous sleep environment, and the -- the knowledge or understanding of an unsafe sleep environment was growing. But I don't believe at the time that I authored this report I -- I understood that his specific sleep environment was as dangerous as it -- as it could have been, and I believe that I focussed more on the findings that were more suspicious, leg fracture and skull fracture, as opposed to the possibility of this environmental risk.

MS. JANE LANGFORD: And before we leave this case, Dr. Smith, is there anything you wish to add?

DR. CHARLES SMITH: Yes. I deeply regret the -- the diagnostic error that I made and the confusion that is attendant upon it. I understand that it has caused problems for the investigators and for the judicial system, but most importantly, it has caused a significant problem for Joshua's family and Joshua's mother, and for that, I -- I am truly sorry.

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