Networked Knowledge - Media Report

[This edited version of the report has been prepared by Dr Robert N Moles]

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In an article on 18 July 2006, Nick Henderson of the Adelaide Advertiser has said that a South Australian case of a woman charged over a baby girl’s death could be delayed by an investigation into the work of Dr Allan Cala, a forensic pathologist.

It appears that Sophie Christensen, 32, of Hamilton in Victoria, had been charged with the manslaughter of a six-month-old baby near Victor Harbor in May, 2004. Henderson said that the court was told that she wanted all the forensic work by Dr Allan Cala to be repeated. Dr Cala was under investigation in NSW over his findings in the case of murdered couple he wrongly said had died in a car crash six years ago.

In the Supreme Court in Adelaide, David Stokes, for Christensen, said he would seek to have the matter re-examined after becoming aware of the issues which had been raised relating to Dr Cala’s alleged unsatisfactory professional conduct.

Henderson said in his report that the instructing solicitor would be requesting that the work in this case should be repeated by someone else. The report said that the the Director of Public Prosecutions would require some time to respond to the request.

Mr Stokes asked Justice Peter Bleby to adjourn the matter for two weeks to enable Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Pallaras, QC, to make a decision.

Dr CaIa, who was at the time on leave, has prepared many expert reports for prosecutions in SA since 2004.

Henderson reported that the investigation into Dr Cala's conduct arose from the Weightman case which is covered in the other reports on the Dr Cala homepage.

Source: The Advertiser, 18 July 2006, Nick Henderson - "Call to repeat forensic work on death"

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