This is the story about Jamie, a little 5 month old girl.
Frightened and Confused.

Wednesday 17 February 1999  3.21 AM

Jamie Beth Nugent (5 months) - Parents being investigated for Shaken Baby ...

This is a present situation.  I was called by Bronwyn this evening at 10:14 PM with regards to a family who recently (Saturday 13 February 1999 in the evening) arrived in Westmead Children's Hospital and are being sieged by DoCS and the NSW Police JIT (Joint Investigation Team) over alleged Shaken Baby Abuse.

The diagnosis is fairly simple.  It's alleged the child has a "bilateral subdural haematoma"  You can find references to this at the following URLs:

Altavista

In the last 4 hours I've heard endless details of Medical abuse and neglect from the day the child was born.

The family comes from Bateman's Bay and has been in and out of Hospitals since birth.   Spending a week in January and now this event here which started on February 11.

The Department of Community Services issued a Section 62A notice on Sunday Night, causing the care and protection of the child to be handed over to the Department.   Section 62A permits a Department officer who suspects on reasonable grounds that a child is in need of care by virtue of the child's being in immediate danger of abuse and that the officer is satisfied that it is not in the best interests of the child that the child be removed from the premises in which the child is currently located. (eg hospital.)

Since then our dearest friend Ruth Cossier (JIT Parramatta) has become involved personally.  Some of you will remember in the last few weeks Ruth has been involved in the Porter Family Sexual Abuse incident. (To be fully put online shortly.)

Just for short notes Jamie (5 months old)

• has been diagnosed with epilepsy
• has had a feeding problem that was being medically treated
• has suffered from two fits one of 3 minutes and one of 15 minutes
• [NOTE WITHDRAWN TEMPORARILY]

A Ophthalmic Paediatrician made a diagnosis and provided the name of an illness and made the statement that she had found details on the Internet that would clarify the matter was NOT a Shaken Baby matter.  This Doctor has been removed from the Hospital until at least Monday (22 Feb)

Ruth Cossier (DoCS) will be attending the Supreme Court tomorrow we assume applying for a Section 20B order under the Child Care and Protection Act.  This is a Supreme Court order allowing a medical treatment (procedure) needed to save the life of a child or prevent serious damage to the child's health to be done without consent from the parents.

The Act does not allow for use of this section for exploratory procedures such as MRI or EEG procedures.  I guess we have to ask why the application to the Supreme Court is being made.

According to our research, if the problem is in fact a Subdural Haematoma then the mortality rate is 60% in untreated cases and 30% in treated cases if treated in less than 4 hours.

We are effectively up to day four as a CT Scan was done in Nowra Base Hospital on Friday 12 February which has triggered the current events.

Obviously this child is in "GREAT NEED OF CARE."

My question is why are the parents and grandparents being victimised by DoCS instead of letting the parents seek advice from the Medical professionals necessary to diagnose and resolve this problem.

This Child  - Jamie - may need urgent medical attention.  It may now be too late to fix this because too many people in the wrong places are trying hard to find a Child Abuse - Shaken Baby - problem, rather than help the parents save their child.

Please provide your support to this family, a young couple from Bateman's Bay, the Mother 19 years old Marina and Father Shaun ages 25 and their tireless hard working supportive Grand Mother who has been on the phone to me since 10:30 PM yesterday (it's now 4:904 AM)

You can use the YOUR SAY or send me private email.  Your messages will be printed and sent to the family as always.

Your support is very much appreciated.  Lets make this one count - before  it goes to Court!