Image: Sara Carlin
Shocked.
Dumbfounded
Jaw Dropping
It would appear that the inquest into the death of Sara Carlin has been orchestrated from day one to protect the doctors, Health Canada, Glaxo and Paxil.
I've had an insight into the Coroner's charge to the jury and will soon be uploading segments of it to this blog.
Before the jury retired to deliberate earlier this week they were given a total of 26 recommendations by the Carlin family.
The Coroner, Bert Lauwers [apparently independent] then charged the jury in what appears to be a, 'it wasn't Paxil, it wasn't Paxil' type of speech.
You may remember Coroner's Counsel, Michael Blain. He appeared in front of TV camera's on day one of the inquest. He openly stated, "The courts acknowledge that this medication can increase thoughts of suicide in particular patients but they don't think that the medication played a role in Sara Carlin's death."
I sure would like to look into the crystal ball that Blain has access to. Who made him Judge and Jury? Did he travel to and from the Coroner's Court in a Delorean?
Well Blain [not to be confused with TV trickster David Blaine - ahem] you didn't really give the Carlin family a fair crack of the whip here did you?
What is it an inquest is supposed to offer?
Let me just remind readers:
The motto for the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario is "We Speak for the Dead to Protect the Living."
Are we, then, to assume that Coroner's Counsel, Michael Blain, was speaking for Sara Carlin when he appeared in front of TV camera's during a short court recess on day one?
Are we to assume that Coroner, Bert Lauwers was speaking for Sara Carlin when he charged the jury?
How about offering the Carlin's lawyer, Gary Will just 20 minutes to cross-examine witnesses while Blain was given an hour or so?
There's also a matter of a symbol that seems to have been overlooked by all the media outlets - Was it a C or and O with a line through it?
I guess we could have a poll on this blog? From what I've seen even Mr. Magoo could determine what the symbol reads!
That, and parts of the Coroner's charge to the jury coming soon.
I may even upload the entire speech for you all to read.
The five person jury, made up of three men and two women return to the Coroner's Court on Monday.
Meantime - :
Here's hoping the Coroner and Coroner's Counsel have a splendid weekend with their sleep patterns unaffected:
Here's a taster of the Coroner's charge to the jury: [Keep in mind that the Coroner is supposed to be independent]
“...And a Coroner may comment on the weight given to any particular evidence ….I generally do not exercise this power as I believe you the jury are likely to come to the conclusion that I would arrive at”
“I direct you to the expert opinion of DR. John Fernandez which is exhibit 4. He was the only person called with respect to giving a medical cause of death. You will recall that…so I would take his report and his determination seriously. He gave the cause of death as hanging by ligature and he put in brackets – electrical cord – while under the influence of cocaine & ethanol and with a therapeutic level of paroxetine”
On the question of manner of death:
“I believe the answer here is absolutely clear and is suicide.”
“The OCCO has taken the position – the jury must complete the section of its verdict with the category of just one of those findings – natural, accident, suicide, homicide or undetermined – we don’t want you toad any narrative on to it or put anything else in place – it is just one of those findings”
“I think we can dispense with the options of natural, homicide, accident and undetermined”
He then goes on about Juurlink’s report ie. it’s the disease not the drug.
“There were a few surprises to me as a Coroner that occurred at this inquest (1) The amount of alcohol use & abuse in the young people (2) The prevalence of cocaine use – This is not evidence but merely my opinion – I am concerned about the Health & safety of our youth – I have never heard the terms pre-drinking & post-drinking. (3) Dr Links power point presentation – 19% of high school students have considered suicide in the past year – 15% have made a plan – 9% a suicide attempt in the past year”
He then goes through Links report in detail - not Links’ evidence.
Final instructions include:
“Do not include any narrative or any rationale in your verdict. I mean answer the 5 questions & provide recommendations if you think they are warranted. And then do not add a story line to that….don’t in fact try to explain the reasons why you have given us the recommendations based on your verdict.”
“No recommendation expresses or implies a conclusion in law or comment on legal responsibility in law”
“ We now ask you to speak for Sara Carlin”
Overall, one of the most concerning things in his charge is to instruct the jury to review and rely upon the expert reports in their deliberation - not their sworn evidence – which on a number of points they conceded that PAXIL may possibly have been a contributing factor. Not surprisingly – he barely ever mentions Dr. Nathan Scharf the only doctor who specializes in child & adolescent psychiatry – and does not mention his report at all. He mostly pushes (in detail) the Juurlink & Links report to the jury – never mentioning that Juurlink is not a trained, qualified or licensed in the practice of psychiatry.
There's a lot more to this inquest than what the Ontario newspapers have been reporting.
From day one, it appears, the Coroner, Coroner's Counsel, Doctor's, Doctor's lawyers, GlaxoSmithKline and their lawyers have basically tried to stifle Sara Carlin's voice.
Quite the opposite of their motto:
"We Speak for the Dead to Protect the Living."
Keep checking back for more over the weekend.
On May 6, 2007, Sara Carlin, a beautiful 18-year-old girl with everything to live for, grabbed a piece of electrical wiring, fashioned a crude noose and hanged herself in the basement of her parents house while under the influence of the antidepressant drug Paxil (Seroxat in the UK). Paxil/Seroxat is an antidepressant documented by international drug regulatory agencies as causing worsening depression and suicide particularly in children and young adults.
Please help inform others of the risks of these drugs. Forward this video to everyone you know.
RIP Sara Alison Carlin
You can read more about the Sara Carlin Vs Glaxo & Friends Inquest at the following links:
Sara Carlin Inquest – Latest
Sara Carlin Inquest – Failure of Oakville Medical Profession
Sara Carlin – ‘Death by Paxil’ Inquest – The ‘Expert’
Sara Carlin Inquest – Coroner’s Witness In U-Turn… And That Man Shaffer!
SARA CARLIN Ontario, Canada
Coroner’s Inquest – Glaxo & Friends Vs The Carlin Family
Sara Carlin Inquest – Local MP Slams GlaxoSmithKline
SARA CARLIN PAXIL INQUEST VIDEO FOOTAGE
SARA CARLIN PAXIL INQUEST GLOBAL TV NEWS
SARA CARLIN INQUEST - What The Jury Should Know
Sara Carlin Inquest - "Paxil likely played important role in teen's suicide"
Sara Carlin Inquest - The Eli Lilly 'Links' & Today's Recommendations.
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'THE EVIDENCE, HOWEVER, IS CLEAR...THE SEROXAT SCANDAL' By Bob Fiddaman
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