No prosecutions after Romanian child's death

No prosecutions after Romanian child's death

February 9, 2008

THERE are to be no prosecutions following the death of a Romanian child adopted by Ulster parents.

The Public Prosecution Service said yesterday that no one was to be charged with the death of 14-month-old David Briggs.

The child died in October 2000 while in the care of his adoptive parents, Geoffrey and Gwen Briggs from Armagh.

Little David’s twin, Samuel, suffered a fractured skull at the hands of his adoptive father weeks after his twin brother died.

The twins were brought to Northern Ireland by the couple, former overseas missionaries, who lived at Corcrain Road in Portadown.

But just three months later toddler David was brought by ambulance from his adoptive parents’ home to the accident and emergency department of Craigavon Hospital.

He was dead when he arrived and although he had at least 16 fractures on his body they went unnoticed by the pathologist who examined him.

Two weeks later, Samuel – who was still in the care of Mr and Mrs Briggs – was admitted to the A&E department of the same hospital suffering from a fractured skull.

In 2002, Geoffrey Briggs spent a year in prison after being convicted of grievous bodily harm for assaulting Samuel with a clenched fist.

It was only when the injured child was brought to the hospital that the X-rays taken at the time of his brother David’s death were examined.

David’s X-rays revealed multiple injuries which the pathologist had failed to notice and which led to the exhumation of the baby’s body and a second postmortem by the same pathologist, who now works in the Republic.

He contended it was not possible to establish the cause of death but a leading paediatric pathologist said the damage to the child’s heart, brain and lungs was caused by interference to his breathing.

She also said David had suffered repeated serious assaults during his short life.

A family court judge later concluded that the assaults on the dead child “occurred during the care of Mr and Mrs Briggs” and that there was “no basis for considering that those injuries existed outside the care of Mr and Mrs Briggs”.

He added: “It has not been established who was responsible for these injuries.”

A police file on the child’s death was passed to the Public Prosecution Service which is understood to have decided in December 2006 – though it has only now come to light – not to prosecute anyone.