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IIJFMT 1(3) 2004

EDITORIAL

THE END OF DR. SHIPMAN @ KILLER MAN

Dr. H.F. Shipman, a British family physician from Hyde, Greater Manchester committed suicide by hanging in his prison cell on Jan 13, 2004(1). Dr Shipman born on Jan 14, 1946 at Nottingham, England was amongst the top 10 serial killers in the world history (2). Investigations indicate that during his professional life, he killed about 220-240 of his patients. He was arrested for killing one of his patients and forging her will in September 1998 and was convicted on 15 counts of murder and one of forgery of a will on Jan 31, 2000. He was sentenced to 15 concurrent terms of life imprisonment and was told by the judge that in his case life imprisonment would mean that he wound remain in prison until death (3).

            Dr. Shipman was convicted on the grounds of:

a)      Alteration of the medical records;

b)      Fabricating relent clinical history;

c)      Unsolicited visits of Dr. Shipman especially on the day of death;

d)      Inconsistencies between the cremation certificate and investigative facts;

e)      Higher death rate among his patients and deaths occurring in his premises;

f)        Differences in the autopsy findings and cause of death certified by his; and

g)      Higher levels of morphine conc. In autopsy samples.

The Shipman's case is not a simple case of a psychopathic personality disorder among an individual. It affects the basic roots of doctor patient relationship that is based on mutual belief and trust. As Prof Donaldson, while speaking at the British Academy of Forensic Science Friend's dinner said, “These terrible crimes, tragedies for the patients and families concerned, led to widespread feelings of horror and outrage amongst the public and with in the medical profession itself. The events in Hyde were particularly shocking because they struck at the bond of trust which exists between doctors and their individual patients and which is at the heart of good medical practice through out the world------(4)

Another important aspect of the Shipman case was the manner in which some of the fellow medical and scientific professionals tried to shield him by postulating alternate theories to explain and justify the causes of deaths amongst Shipman's victims. However, fortunately after evidence of Dr. Shipman himself, none of these experts entered the witness box. Otherwise, there would have been massive clash of forensic scientists, doctors and pathologists during this trial. Dr. Shipman's case is a blot on the face of whole medical fraternity and should be condemned in strongest possible words, so that no doctor in future ever dares to play with the life of his patient for materialistic gain or his pleasure.

Dr. S.K. Verma

Editor

References:

1.      Dr. Death hangs himself. Times of India Jan14, 2004.

2.      World's most wanted: Desi Serial Killers. Time City Jan 2, 2004.

3.      Pounder DJ. The case of Dr. Shipman Am. J Forensic Med Pathol 2003; 24(3): 219-226.

4.      Donaldson L. The case of Harold Shipman: Ethics, forensics and polities. Med Sci Law 2003; 43(3): 185.

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