The October 11 Edition

For today’s cover story, journalists Michael Bachelard and Ruby Schwartz spent months looking at a very complex topic: the varying opinions around the medical diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome, which has been putting people in prison across the world since the 1990s. The extraordinary work of medical staff who dedicate their careers to protecting babies from the horror of abuse cannot be underestimated. But as Bachelard and Schwartz write, in some jurisdictions overseas, the scientific evidence behind shaken baby syndrome is being challenged, prompting hard questions about whether shaking is, to the criminal standard, the most likely cause of the tragic brain injury or death investigated in these cases. They speak to people on both sides of the argument: those firm in their opinion that the syndrome can be medically diagnosed, and those who argue there’s a need to question the science around it. Their piece also delves into the experience of families navigating distressing allegations of abuse. Part one of the accompanying podcast series, Diagnosing Murder, is also out today. – Melissa Stevens, editor