The doctor who first raised concerns that a 13-month-old child died after being sexually assaulted “rushed to judgment”, a court has heard.
Poppi Worthington died suddenly on 12 December 2012 after collapsing at her home in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. In January last year it was revealed that a family court judge had ruled in secret that “on the balance of probabilities” Poppi’s father, Paul Worthington, sexually assaulted her before her death.
After an examination of the child’s body, a Home Office pathologist, Alison Armour, concluded that Poppi had been injured by a penis or penis-shaped object penetrating her bottom shortly before her death.
Giving evidence at the girl’s inquest in Kendal, Armour said no natural causes could explain the child’s death. She said Poppi’s injuries, including two fractures to her right leg, were “strongly suspicious of child abuse” and there were signs of asphyxia.
On Tuesday, Leslie Thomas QC, representing Worthington, told the court that at least three other medical experts had said the fractures, which were discovered after Poppi’s death, could have been caused accidentally.
“You can’t just jump to the conclusion that this physical injury was as a result of physical assault. The injuries Poppi had may be completely innocent. It may be her parents weren’t watching,” he told Armour.
“How did you come to that conclusion?” he asked.
Armour replied: “Poppi was under 18 months of age. Fractures identified in children under 18 months are typically associated with abuse. There was no injury or circumstance that account for the injury. There was more than one fracture. That’s why I say what I do and still do today.”
Thomas said: “You have approached this case with a particular mindset and that is betrayed by what you say about the fractures. You have lost your professionalism and objectivity.”
Armour responded: “I totally disagree with you, sir. You are very wrong to call my objectivity and professionalism into question.”
The court heard that before Armour carried out her postmortem examination, she was told by police of two items of intelligence of a sexual nature relating to Worthington that later proved to be “completely without foundation”.
Thomas said: “I’m going to lay my cards on the table. You, out of all the experts who have looked at this case, and there’s been a number, you are the only one who says in the clearest terms that Poppi was the victim of being sexually assaulted.
“I’m going to suggest, Dr Armour, you, before you conducted your postmortem, you had been tainted. You may have been influenced by what you were told.”
Armour replied: “No. Not at all in any way.”
Cumbria police, which dismissed Armour’s initial suggestion of child abuse as “rash”, has since apologised to Poppi’s family for “deficiencies in the initial police investigation”.
The Crown Prosecution Service has twice ruled there is now insufficient evidence to prosecute anyone over the girl’s death.
Paul Worthington denies any involvement in his daughter’s death.
The inquest continues.
