Image: Sara Carlin
Closing arguments were heard yesterday at the inquest of Sara Carlin, the beautiful teenage daughter of Neil and Rhonda Carlin, who hanged herself in May 2007.
The jury will now deliberate all the evidence they have heard over the past two week or so.
Already CNEWS Across Canada Is running with the headline "Paxil likely played important role in teen's suicide"
They write:
Lawyer Gary Will, who represents the Carlin family, said Paxil "played a very important role and it might have been contributor" with other factors in the May 6, 2007 suicide of the outstanding athlete and scholar..
"She took her life in a most horrible, violent way. And these antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, including Paxil) induce suicides that are often violent," Will told the jury in his closing comments
CBS News runs with 'Oakville teen's suicide inquest wraps'
The Globe and Mail lead with, Inquest probes link between medication and teen’s suicide, the first paragraph reading:
To Sara Carlin’s family, a prescription drug meant to cure her anxiety triggered a deep depression that led her to hang herself. To the company that makes the drug, the Oakville teen was already troubled and her medication was working.
I will be summarising this inquest over the coming days. There is a lot more to this than meets the eye. I'm not particularly happy with the witnesses called, nor am I happy with the way the Canadian press have not drawn links to these witnesses and their possible conflict of interests.
The testimony of these witnesses has to be scrutinized by the jury and, I believe, they must pay particular attention to the testimony of one of Sara's doctors, Dr. Lynne Benjamin. It was Benjamin who increased Sara's dose of Paxil from 20mg per day to 30mg per day. Benjamin's testimony is interesting where she tries to explain away two separate notes for the same visit Sept 26-06 – on one she prescribes immediate release Paxil 30 mg – on the other note she prescribes Paxil CR 25 mg.
Dr Lynne Benjamin has not used her married name throughout this case, that's her prerogative.
For the record Dr Lynne Benjamin is married to Andrew Merrick.
Andrew Merrick is Director of Corporate Affairs for Eli Lilly Canada, something the Canadian press seemed to have overlooked.
I will write more about this and other witnesses over the coming days and tell you of the law firms and institutes that have been visiting this blog since I first started reporting on it.
In the meantime, here are the back stories in chronological order:
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
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
Nessun Dorma
Fid
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'THE EVIDENCE, HOWEVER, IS CLEAR...THE SEROXAT SCANDAL' By Bob Fiddaman
SIGNED COPIES HERE OR UNSIGNED FROM CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING
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