Child Death Investigations Dropped

The Public Prosecution Service has dropped investigations into the deaths of two children that were being treated in Northern Ireland hospitals.

Adam Strain, 4, from Belfast, died in the Royal Hospital in 1998, while Lucy Crawford, who was only 17 months old, died in Erne Hospital in similar circumstances two years later.

It is alleged that both children died from a shortage in the level of essential sodium administered in fluids provided by the hospital.

In 2005, Police had requested that an inquiry by the hospitals into the deaths be deferred after deciding to take on the cases themselves. But the Public Prosecution Service has now announced there will be no prosecutions arising from the police investigations into the tragic cases of Lucy and Adam.

A third case involving the death of Rachel Ferguson aged nine, who died after a routine appendix removal is still on-going, but hopes for a prosecution have been dashed with the dropping of Lucy and Adam’s investigation.

Speaking out over the decision, Marie Ferguson, Raychel’s Mother said: "We were really hoping that with the police investigation that something good was going to come out of it and we were going to get some kind of justice and in my case it doesn't really leave me with much hope at the minute.”

"But I'm clinging onto that wee bit of hope that they come back with news that I'm hoping to get. At the minute I think it looks quite doubtful."

A statement from the Public Prosecution surface about the cases is yet to emerge.

(DW)