Category Archives: Legal

Pseudoscience and Christian bigotry

Posted in Australian Christian Lobby, Human Rights, Legal, Religion by

First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s [pregnancy] really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.

US Republican Senator Todd Akin, August 19th 2012

Some doctors have told me that health outcomes are worse for gay and lesbian people, and gay activists themselves point to health problems. I mean this in the widest sense, not just HIV-AIDS but rates of cancer, alcoholism and other disease.

Sydney Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen, September 10th 2012

An interesting article headed When did it become okay to bag Christianity? was published in Mamamia recently.

The author recounts hearing what appears to be a fairly unjustified anti-theistic rant directed at Christians, then poses some queries as to why such criticism is common. Common in various media and comedy sketches. Of course this applies also to drama, casual discourse, public debate and genuine lobbying for equal rights.

Perhaps the question should have been phrased differently, or presented as an observation. Christianity particularly, has practitioners adhering to many different practices, beliefs and intention. Regrettably there are those who ignore the privacy of faith and wield their version of Christianity as if it were authoritative. Or worse, an absolute truth or blueprint for life. Everyone’s life.

It is this constant song of demand that the only life we know be discarded in servitude or demoted to a test run that sustains a deep and painful wound in the Australian psyche. The strange mix of fundamentalism and patronising insistence that others must live by an unwelcome moral code is at once offensive and utterly absurd. The intellectual paucity upon which it rides is truly astonishing.

Yet it is the message of Christianity as put forward by those in a position to command media attention, those who lobby or horrifically as revealed in recent years, those who seek to indoctrinate our children at public schools. The scale of material wealth enjoyed by the institutions that protect and nurture this archaic message and sadly defend those known to have abused so many children is not lost on Australians.

That religious institutions based on Christianity and the faith of Christianity are not one and the same, is not always clear. This may explain why it’s seemingly “okay to bag Christianity”. On the most recent episode of Q&A on Australia’s ABC, Aussies were treated to some splendid bigotry and misogyny from Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen. Such views would and do disgust many Christians. He also spoke of the message of Jesus Christ and the positives associated with this. This view would be celebrated by all Christians.

Therein lies much confusion and the source for criticism of Christianity. It may not be Christianity in it’s entirety or individual Christians that are intended to be “bagged”. Yet the inordinate wealth, control and unwanted influence afforded truly unpleasant individuals based upon what is essentially a belief in magical beings, does not sit well with the progressive 21st century mind. Christianity remains a most irritating influence and/or manifestly detrimental force for so many that “bagging” or mocking, is not surprising.

The divisive and deceptive nature of many messages pushed out by Christian identities is reflected in the above comments. In both instances we see an appeal to authority. Toss in the claim some doctors have said this or that and apparently one has the opportunity to trot out whatever bigoted opinions one would like to be fact. In both cases it backfires because “doctors” in general say nothing of the sort.

Hence no proper research was attempted but the faux impression of having sought informed consensus is bravely put forth. Worse, these are smart men so this author will assume they knowingly lied. I hasten to add Jensen followed with, “I do not know whether there is sound evidence for this or not”. Which far from saving him should rightly raise questions about his access to Google or who on earth advises him. At the time, the claim had already been in the headlines for five days.

Hiding behind dodgy “research” is nothing new for Christian bigotry. The myth that homosexuality and paedophilia are linked has been the topic of bogus, offensive, pseudoscientific and at times bizarre reporting. Quite benign findings are breathlessly reported as evidence of children in danger from gay men. For example, one source from the US Family Research Council (Advancing faith, family and freedom) is cited:

In The Gay Report, by homosexual researchers Karla Jay and Allen Young, the authors report data showing that 73 percent of homosexuals surveyed had at some time had sex with boys sixteen to nineteen years of age or younger.

The wording seeks to convey that gay men have overwhelmingly had sex with teens, whereas “at some time” conveniently distorts consensual legal sex. Exactly the type of findings we’d expect with heterosexuals.

An in depth article by Mark E. Pietrzyk, Homosexuality and child sexual abuse: science, religion and the slippery slope, followed the 2006 resignation of US Congressman Mark Foley. We read in part in the conclusion:

A number of recent studies and articles have attempted to discredit the gay rights movement by linking homosexuality to pedophilia.  These writings have either cited articles in the scientific literature alleging to show that homosexual males are more inclined to molest children than heterosexual males, or they have attempted to demonstrate an inevitable trend toward toleration of pedophilia by employing the “slippery slope” argument.

However, the very scientists that are cited in support of the contention that gays are more likely to be molesters explicitly reject the idea that homosexuals pose a disproportionate threat to children.  […]

In fact, the Judeo-Christian tradition and many other religious traditions tolerated and even affirmed pedophilic relationships for centuries.  The contemporary taboo against such relationships developed only a little over one hundred years ago…

On Q&A Jensen was lending credence to Australian Christian Lobby head Jim Wallace’s argument that the “gay lifestyle” leads to death 20 years earlier than heterosexual estimates. Perhaps relying on Modelling the impact of HIV disease on mortality in gay and bisexual men, published in 1997, Wallace certainly chose to ignore the important follow up paper, Gay life expectancy revisited, by the same authors.

They open with this paragraph:

Over the past few months we have learnt of a number of reports regarding a paper we published in the International Journal of Epidemiology on the gay and bisexual life expectancy in Vancouver in the late 1980s and early 1990s. From these reports it appears that our research is being used by select groups in US and Finland to suggest that gay and bisexual men live an unhealthy lifestyle that is destructive to themselves and to others. These homophobic groups appear more interested in restricting the human rights of gay and bisexuals rather than promoting their health and well being.

Wallace might like to buttress his bigotry with the solidly debunked “gay obituary study” published by the head of Family Research Council (a documented Hate Group) Paul Cameron, with Playfair and Wellum. Choosing only obituaries these guys “concluded” gay men die at 43. I’m sure this came as quite a shock to all the living gay men from the same generation over 43 years of age. Especially as the sample had no living subjects and further skewed it’s results by sampling only urban openly gay men.

Today, with antiretroviral drugs mean life expectancy from the time of diagnosis with HIV is over 40 years. So, these chaps had to zero in on a particular time period and ignore living subjects. Average age of death from AIDS was around 40 years. 20% of gay men would die of AIDS in the period before drug treatment. According to Steven Ross, even if we crank that up to 50% Cameron’s mean lifespan of 43 years requires healthy gay men to die at 46. Said differently, if healthy gay men died at 70 those with AIDS would need to die at 16.

Then there’s the group of bigoted evangelicals I personally enjoy catching out in their abuse of science. The conservative anti-drug lobby continues to produce junk science arguing measures to control blood borne virus spread have failed. They remain at the forefront of efforts to undermine the methodology of expert panels who conclude illicit drug prohibition tactics in present form are quite damaging. An assorted group of Christian fundamentalists bent on faith based practices, it is quite sad to see them attack Christian run faith based charities.

When Drug Free Australia published an attack on research supporting Vancouver’s safe injecting site under the guise of science, Mark Wainberg, professor of medicine and director of the McGill University AIDS Centre concluded in part:

In my view, the allegations that have been made by ‘Drug Free Australia’ are without merit and are not based on scientific fact. In contrast, it is my view that the work that has been carried out by the team of Thomas Kerr et al is scientifically well-founded and has contributed to reducing the extent of mortality and morbidity in association with the existence of the safer injection facility. . . . The University of British of British Columbia should be proud of the contributions of its faculty members to the important goal of diminishing deaths due to intravenous drug abuse.

Thus in all three examples the demonstrable abuse of existing science or presentation of pseudoscience to justify or defend outright discrimination is clearly demonstrated. The quest for abstinence – forced if need be – in all it’s forms certainly leads to bigotry.

Clearly the discrimination and abuse levelled at members of the LGBTI community has a demonstrable impact on health and lifestyle. For gay Christians or those raised in Christian families the effects of bigotry can be negatively life changing. If Wallace was honest he would admit that his identified lifestyle problems of drug abuse, self harm and suicide would reduce without his bigotry.

If HIV is of genuine concern he would accept stable, monogamous relationships and of course marriage, reduce the risk of not knowing the HIV status of a partner. Instead he prefers to cite a Danish study that found brief relationships of around 18 months. He might not let on this was a sample of young men aged 18-21 years. In fact same sex civil unions are rather boringly unlikely to differ from the general population.

Wallace’s claims are surely demonstrably false. What is more shocking than Jim’s predictable bigotry is his attempt to link choice to sexual orientation. In arguing that smoking reduces lifespan by up to a decade and we educate children not to smoke, he’s suggesting we should similarly educate about the dangers of the “gay lifestyle”.

Of course as Jim tells it he was misrepresented by “gay activists”. Just as his anti-Islamic, homophobic ANZAC Day tweet was a misrepresentation by “twitter activists”. In both cases Aussie Christians vocally distanced themselves from him and his mess. His knack for denial is almost impressive.

Fortunately this debacle will have a notably positive outcome. More children being educated not to listen to Jim Wallace and the outmoded Australian Christian Lobby.

Natasha Bita: Award winner to crisis spinner?

Posted in Anti-Vaccination Lobby, Human Rights, Legal, Science by

The TGA is concerned by assertions that a number of deaths resulted from influenza vaccinations. In fact there have been no recorded deaths from influenza vaccine in Australia.

– Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration respond to Natasha Bita’s article “linking” vaccination to fatality –

Natasha Bita published Virus in the system on May 28th, 2011.

The article presents an extended account of the heart wrenching story of Saba Button who suffered permanent brain damage due to the CSL Fluvax influenza vaccine, in April 2010. A combination of H1N1 and seasonal influenza strains Fluvax is tolerated very well by adults. However for children under five a febrile convulsion rate of 0.33% was later clearly established in the only state to involve this age group: Western Australia.

At the time the ABC reported hundreds of reactions. Of the 47 children taken to hospital, The West Australian reported 23 admissions. Saba Button was one such admission. Bita doesn’t provide these details, though to her credit does report that in 2009 fifteen kids under the age of 15 died after contracting swine flu. Each year between three and nine children die from influenza in Australia.

The situation in W. A. following the use of Fluvax on small children reflects a 2006 study in which 1 febrile convulsion was recorded in a sample of 272. What emerged as deeply concerning is that 2006 fever (not convulsion) trial data rates were 39.5%. Yet Fluvax manufacturer CSL informed the TGA of their 2005 trial data on fever. A much lower 22.5%. Public confidence in regulation, safety, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and ultimately use is vital. I’ve previously looked at the importance of holding CSL to account.

A primary reason is that such stories are fodder for anti-vaccination lobbyists. Public confidence in immunisation was at stake, and proper context was much needed. One glaring absence from Bita’s article was reinforcement of the importance of vaccination in preventing influenza. With the internet awash with dangerous anti-vaccination propaganda readers need to know that all vaccination schedules are of paramount importance.

The day Bita’s story was published anti-vaccination guru Meryl Dorey falsely claimed that “the skeptics” and Stop The AVN were “organising forces” to complain.

Meryl Dorey’s Yahoo! Twitter and Facebook libellous claims

I emailed Natasha that day seeking confirmation. After no reply I tried again on June 1st and CC’d The Australian online address. 16 days later I repeated this. Natasha eventually replied that no, she had received no complaints. Not one. However she had been away, she qualified. Strange, I thought. Was Bita suggesting that her absence equated to an inability to access emails, either later or indeed at any time?

I began to feel somewhat uneasy about Bita’s impartiality. Clearly she knew who Meryl Dorey was. She was the woman who had just hijacked her published account to falsely claim, “babies were being used as guinea pigs in a trial that was paid for by the drug companies involved.” Dorey was also harassing the Buttons by phone and had appointed herself the family’s unofficial conspiracy consultant.

Shortly after I’d finally received a reply from Natasha Bita she published an article on the very rare past occurrence of transverse myelitis following oral polio immunisation. Bita did little to quell the fear and uncertainty to follow in the wake of Virus in the system. The purpose of her piece was to report on the MJA article, A no-fault compensation scheme for serious adverse events attributed to vaccination published by Kelly, Looker and Isaccs. I was familiar with the article having referred to it myself almost three weeks earlier.

It’s inexcusable that Australia lacks such a scheme when we note Germany began theirs in 1961 and across the Tasman no-fault compensation has been a reality since 1978. Seventeen other nations have a scheme that relies upon WHO criteria for Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI). It is of even greater relevance in Australia because arguments for its implementation rely upon factors anti-vaccination lobbyists deny. Firstly that vaccination provides immunity and secondly the principle of herd immunity.

The authors write:

Any person who is injured while helping to protect the community — for instance, by contributing to herd immunity, such that there are sufficiently many people immunised to prevent widespread disease transmission within the community — should not bear the consequences of injury alone. In essence, the community owes a debt of gratitude to that person.

Natasha Bita, whether consciously or not, fed the anti-vaccination machine. The piece firmed her position as a journalist lacking in scientific literacy or having a grasp of risk-benefit ratios. She belittles the term “adverse reaction” and leaves the most crucial fact that Australia’s current inactivated polio virus vaccine carries no such risk, until the last few words. In a poorly written piece she completely misses the reality that Australia’s vaccine injury chic groupies will not back this scheme, have never mentioned it and deny the merit raised by Kelly, Looker and Isaacs.

When Virus in the system won Natasha Bita a Walkley for Sustained Coverage Of An Issue Or Event, she was embraced totally by the Dark Side. Her appearance on conspiracy and vaccine denialist site The Refusers perhaps underscored just how important a few lines reminding parents that vaccines save lives can be.

On August 3rd, as Queensland mum Katrina Day lay fighting for her life against influenza, Natasha Bita published a fraudulent article falsely “linking” 10 deaths to influenza vaccines. Bita ignored the TGA warning on interpretation of data. The article highlights how dangerous it is to allow sensation-seeking journalists to consult such information. Her headline outs her as unconscionable and callous as she proceeds to ignore any difference between correlation and causation.

Bita writes misleadingly:

TEN deaths have been linked to the nation’s flu immunisation program since the 2009 swine flu pandemic, including elderly patients and unborn babies.

The CSL flu vaccine, Panvax – which taxpayers spent $131 million stockpiling for the 2009 swine flu outbreak – triggered 1716 adverse-event reports, including seven deaths.

Whilst it is well understood that seasonal influenza vaccines will not include all circulating strains (meaning one may still catch influenza) she offers:

The Therapeutic Goods Administration database of adverse events, made public this week, lists the death of a grandmother who caught the flu after vaccination last year.

This is exactly the problem faced by VAERS in the USA, which is set to be superseded. Events are reported so that trends will be picked up and viable research launched in response to perceived problems. Nonethelesss all events remain on the database. Here we have an apparent award winning journalist reporting 10 deaths “linked” to ‘flu vaccines, whilst the total is actually zero. Visitors to TGA’s Database of Adverse Event Notifications are met with:

Her article drew the following response on the same day from the TGA:

TGA is concerned by a media story that may mislead consumers and could potentially discourage them from receiving influenza vaccinations.

Vaccinations play an important role in the prevention of diseases such as influenza, which can be life threatening in some patient groups. […]

The first line of text on the Database of Adverse Event Notifications states that: An Adverse Event does not mean that the medicine is the cause of the adverse event.

The TGA is concerned by assertions that a number of deaths resulted from influenza vaccinations. In fact there have been no recorded deaths from influenza vaccine in Australia. […]

To my knowledge Natasha Bita is yet to publish a retraction, explanation or apology. On August 27th it was reported that Katrina Day had passed away after falling into a coma. The 38 year old leaves behind four children and a husband.

Yesterday new directions for the CDC were reported in Flu Creates High Risk Of Death In Children With Neurological Problems:

A disproportionately high number of children with neurologic disorders died from influenza-related complications during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, according to a study by scientists with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report in the journal Pediatrics underscores the importance of influenza vaccination to protect children with neurologic disorders. CDC is joining with the American Academy of Pediatrics, Families Fighting Flu and Family Voices to spread the message about the importance of influenza vaccination and treatment in these children.

Influenza kills and vaccination saves lives. For certain groups this is a very real decision arising every year. In very, very rare cases adverse reactions occur. To date in Australia no fatalities have been conclusively linked to influenza vaccines, including during the CSL debacle.

It’s a shame that so-called “consumer editor” Natasha Bita has to mislead her readers to suit her own agenda.

Reject that and you belong in hell

Posted in Atheism, Education, Human Rights, Religion by

In God We Teach follows the story of a high school student who recorded his history teacher proselytising for Jesus.

In Kearny New Jersey, student Matthew LaClair recorded teacher David Paszkiewicz preaching about Jesus. An avowed “anti-Darwinist”, who places god before all and concludes academic freedom includes the freedom to preach and not teach, at one time Paszkiewicz informs his history students:

He (Jesus) did everything in his power to make sure you could go to heaven. So much so that he put your sins on his own body, suffered your pains for you and is saying ‘please accept me, believe’.

You reject that and you belong in hell.

During a high school christian club meeting Paszkiewicz allows students to articulate the fundamentalist view that immorality thrives through “endorsing” evolution. One student suggests that people would, “… grow cold and empty. You grow cold to people with disabilities. You grow cold to an after life. There is no after life. Why not do what you want? Why not steal? Why not assault people?”.

Paszkiewicz calmly tells the student attendees;

The world doesn’t understand this but believers do. Teaching Darwinism, is something that’s going to take peoples eyes off of god, especially Jesus Christ. […]

It may be against the law to teach Creationism as fact, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

With the town backing the wayward teacher, Matthew LaClair does what clearly had to be done to defend the right to public education and the separation of church and state.

An excellent documentary by vic Losick. Read more at In God We Teach or visit Vimeo.

Tracey Spicer talks vaccine conscientious objection

Posted in Denialism, Health, Human Rights, Legal by

In all cases, those infected were not fully immunised

– The Cambelltown measles outbreak –

Are antivaxxers “nutters” or “freaks”?

So disastrous has the denial of vaccination for vulnerable infants and children been, that such frustrated descriptions come up time and again. Parents who seek reputable information are left in no doubt that vaccine denial is ill informed and a mistake of significantly high risk.

As the consequences of the anti-vaccine movement more and more take the form of outbreaks of entirely preventable disease, a greater percentage of Aussies looks upon vaccine denialists with disgust. Regrettably the fierce combative stance of vaccine denialists is probably feeding the rising disdain across the community.

The measles outbreak which began in Cambelltown NSW in May led to this article in the Herald Sun on August 15th. Sydney Schools on Disease Alert:

The health scare involving 40 cases concentrated in the Campbelltown area comes as new medical research shows a record number of parents are refusing to immunise their children.

Ten of the reported cases in the South West Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) have put sufferers in hospital in the past two months.

The majority of those affected have been school-aged children and babies under 12 months old. The Department of Education confirmed four high schools and a number of primary schools had circulated letters of warning to parents.

In all cases, those infected were not fully immunised.

According to Australian Doctor 30,882 parents have objected to the immunisation of their children. 6,000 of the 2 million children on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register have no vaccine history at all.

As I’ve noted before, enjoying a standard of health that allows the luxury to worry about improbable, irrelevant or indeed, imagined responses to vaccination is truly a marker of their success. In addition the drive and confience for individuals to take control and make decisions about their health is also a positive trend.

The problem, indeed the absolute sabotage of both these trends, are the wild conspiracies aimed at vaccination and the outrageous scams on offer for those who do explore management of health. Regrettably, hand in hand, these two factors have cultivated an anti-science mentality that carries the power of indoctrination.

Today, towering ignorance reigns for many when it comes to “health choices”. Thanks to an industry of stupidity, we are left with parents screeching and snarling for the right to harm their children and to treat them with snake oil. The results can be seen above.

On the same day the above piece was published Tracey Spicer filled in for one of the Murrays on 2UE’s The Two Murrays.

“That terrific group Stop The AVN…”. (Tracey Spicer)

Tracey and Murray spoke to Dr. Jason Cooke on the vexed issue of vaccine denial. Tracey mentions, “that terrific group Stop The AVN”. Here here!

Listen below or visit chirbit here.

Access the MP3 directly here.

Ex-QLD police officer alleges corruption in manslaughter case

Posted in Anti-Vaccination Lobby, Human Rights, Legal, Scam by

I am an ex-Sgt of Police after 20 years in Queensland. Every SIDS mother told me their babies were healthy prior to vaccines and then deteriorated and died after.

Christopher William Savage

The above is from July 29th this year.

It’s in an AVN Facebook thread that again highlights the one way street of free speech down which Meryl Dorey travels. A commenter to a Blogger post joked they wanted to throw rotten fruit at Meryl. Another commenter warned her of the obvious currency the AVN would get from this.

Nonetheless, our stalker-at-large, Liz Hempel had the persons details in moments. She’d discovered the person was a police officer and figured the lodging of an official complaint was in order. Chris Savage is also an ever-helpful conspiracy theorist and antivaccination devotee. He chimed in;

Meryl thanked her loyal minions.

The purpose for this diversion? Well, Savage’s attention to the proper conduct of serving police officers seems to be a new found concern.

On July 2nd, Chris was “being duly” and decided to weave from memory accounts of his time as a police officer that seek to lay the blame for infant and child death at the feet of vaccines.

His Statutory Declaration includes SIDS and Shaken Baby Syndrome. Predetermined agendas on the part of QLD police, illegal conduct on the part of QLD police, apparent planting of evidence, supposed denial of facts by police and more. All this comes through in a sworn “oath”.

Why did Savage not report corrupt conduct at the time? One event – tampering with a prisoners property – applies to the rights of all prisoners, regardless of the cause for arrest. What was Savage thinking? Was corruption and tampering with property so common he only deems this occasion worth recounting because it helps firm the theme of his “oath”?

In fact, by “recounting” this, Savage has confessed to a serious misdemeanor, if not crime, on his own part. One that saw an innocent man charged with the manslaughter of a 5 year old, if Savage’s oath is true as he alleges. If so and if this person was convicted and jailed he may well still be in custody. The man was charged in September 2009. This dear reader, is way beyond joking about throwing fruit.

Immediately his sworn oath becomes a sensational account of how QLD police arrested an innocent man, planted evidence and because they, “did not have any evidence against the father of foul play”, chose to label the cause of the child’s death as Shaken Baby Syndrome.

How did police get the “medical evidence” of Shaken Baby Syndrome? Was there no autopsy? Did they make it up on the spot as Savage seems to infer?

Surely the best interests of Queensland, QLD police, the person arrested, the child’s mother, the child himself and all Australians are now best served by an examination and investigation of this matter.

Clearly there are more questions raised here than just one troubled man’s opinions about vaccines. To be sure he intends to convey a link between vaccination and dangerous adverse reactions. As do countless others. Yet, what we have entered into oath are accusations that go to the very heart of the integrity of QLD police. To the very basis of justice.

I trust Christopher William Savage is willing to assist with any developments as they arise.

Below is the apparent sworn oath. A copy is available on Chris Savage’s Facebook Notes page. Item 51 includes the account of misconduct on the part of detectives and a “colleague”.

I, Christopher William SAVAGE of 160 Amamoor Dagun Road AMAMOOR in the State of Queensland Australia being duly (sic) make on oath and say:
1. I joined the Queensland Police Service in 1989 at the age of 27 years.
2. My training commenced at Oxley Police Academy in June 1989 and was completed on Friday the 19th day of January 1990.
3. One a previous Friday in October 1989 our Squad members were told to line up for Hepatitis B vaccines. I joined my squad members and we received the Hepatitis B vaccination at about 11am that day.
4. After that I went to lunch and in the afternoon I participated in the third of four Physical Training Tests. At the conclusion of the test, which lasted 40 minutes, I was totally exhausted.
5. A short time later we all went home.
6. I expected to recover from the exhaustion but didn’t. I lay in bed for the next two weeks with no energy. I could barely get up and drag myself to the toilet.
7. After a week I went to a mainstream medical practitioner and said: “I am totally exhausted all the time. Could it have been the Hep B vaccine?
8. The doctor snapped: “Oh no it couldn’t be that.”
9. I was given a medical certificate but no medication. I then went to a Naturopath and was given large doses of ascorbic acid and after a few days I felt my energy return.

10. I then returned to the Academy to resume studies which included the promotion of the Hepatitis B vaccination program but nothing about the issue of investigating the impact of vaccines when babies die.
11. On the 19th day of January 1990 I was sworn in as a Constable of Police.
12. I was posted to Gympie Station from January 1990 to January 1991. After that I was transferred to Caboolture Station and then to Zillmere station from April 1993.
13. In July 1993, I clearly recall being called to an incident involving the death of a six month old baby boy in the division.
14. I was tasked to attend the Prince Charles Hospital where Queensland Ambulance Services had transported the baby.
15. I observed the deceased baby at this hospital. The baby had a pale white skin and a darker skin tone patches below the eyes. I completed details of a Form 4, which is Sudden Death information sheet for the Coroner. I also collected vials of samples of bodily fluids and arranged for these to go to the John Tonge Centre.
16. I then went to the residence of the mother. When I first met her I sensed she was in a state of shock and of bewilderment.
17. I took possession of the sheets, mattress and also medications. I also arranged for the mother to attend Zillmere Station so I could obtain a witness statement from her.
18. Around that time I spoke to a detective in the Juvenile Aid Bureau (JAB) who advised me to ensure blood samples were taken. I confirmed this had been done.
19. In one of the days that followed I met the mother at the Boondall Police Station. She was in her late 20’s and was a single mother.

20. I asked her to describe her life from the time that the baby was born.
21. She said “When the baby was born I couldn’t breast feed so I gave the baby formula,” or words to the same effect.
22. She also said: “The baby was eating and sleeping well,” or words to the same effect.
23. She then said: “I took the baby to clinic and there was no problems except for a sniffle, he was fine and they agreed.”
24. She also said: “After 8 weeks the clinic nurses gave him the DPT vaccine. He started crying and wouldn’t stop. That night he wouldn’t sleep properly,” or words to the same effect.
25. She also said: “I took him to the doctor and they gave me some children’s Paracetamol. I gave it to him and it seemed to help but he would vomit his food up and the poo that came out of him was black and horrible,” or words to the same effect.
26. She also said: “He would just scream sometimes so I take him to another doctor and they gave him another drug but it didn’t seem to help anymore. He would frequently wake up at night crying and I wouldn’t get any sleep,” or words to the same effect.
27. She also said: “I then went to another doctor who gave me yet another drug. It didn’t seem to do anything. He cried through the day. Hardly slept and continued to wake me up at night,” or words to the same effect.
28. I could see that the mother was beside herself with tiredness and frustration.
29. She also said: “I went to all these different doctors and they gave me all the different drugs but nothing helped. He started having convulsions as well,” or words to the same effect.

30. She also said: “I have been having terrible nights with him crying and vomiting and finally got him to sleep after he was exhausted. That was about 5am so I then went to sleep too. When I woke up at about 9.00 o’clock in the morning I checked and found he wasn’t breathing. I called the ambulance. I told the lady on the phone he wasn’t breathing. They seemed to take a long time. They arrived after about 15 and tried to revive him and then took him to hospital,” Or words to the same effect.
31. The statement ended up being about 6 pages long. She signed it and I witnessed her signature.
32. Over the next month I received a Certificate of Analysis from the John Tonge Centre.
33. I then took this document to the Government Medical Officer who advised that the levels of drugs in the baby’s blood were higher than normal but weren’t so high as to cause him to believe that it contributed to the baby’s death.
34. I also made submissions that whilst the mother appeared to have given the baby medicine slightly over the prescribed amount. At the material time the mother was suffering extreme sleep deprivation and also administering medications during the night. The mother was also confused by the variety of medication and treatments, which lacked continuity.
35. I completed my investigation and submitted a covering report, Form 4, Certificate of Death and the mother’s statement to the Coroner.
36. I had no further dealings with the matter.
37. A few months later I read a report that the JAB detective I had spoken to about samples for testing had actually criminally charged the mother with Manslaughter (killing without intent).
38. I was very surprised but it wasn’t my place to interfere in that process.
39. About a year later I received further information that the DPP had decided to not proceed with the charge of Manslaughter. I was relieved by this information for the sake of the mother.

40. In September 1993, I transferred to Biloela Police Station and remained there until October 2004.
41. In about the year 1999, Detective Sergeant Roger Lowe went to Moura 40 km from Biloela to investigate a ‘cot death’. On his return he told me something. I later viewed the Criminal Investigation Branch Occurrence Sheet and read that the mother’s baby had died this was the second baby of hers that had died from Sudden Infant Death Sydrome but Detective Sergeant Roger Lowe was conducting inquiries into criminal responsibility with reliance on medical evidence.
42. I said: ‘Have you done any inquiries as to the condition of the baby prior to and after vaccination before death?” Or words to the same effect.
43. He said: ‘No not in relation to vaccines, or words to the same effect.’
44. I said: ‘You should because I have had a case in Brisbane just before I came to Biloela where the baby suffered significant symptoms immediately after the DPT vaccine and then died a few months later. I have a video of doctors who expose vaccines can cause injury and death,’ or words to the same effect.
45. He said: ‘Ok you better get a copy to me.’

46. I left the video on his desk but he later told me that he wasn’t interested in watching it.
47. I became aware that Detective Sergeant Roger Lowe had decided not to charge the mother from Moura who had suffered the loss of two babies. I am not aware of his reasons for taking this action.
48. In October 2004, I was transferred to Townsville Station and to the Townsville Watchhouse in December 2005.
49. In about 2006, at Townsville Watchhouse I saw a young mother and father both charged over their baby’s death. The baby had died after complications that only appeared after vaccines were administered. I read the court brief and the case against these parents was largely based on ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ and attacks were made on the parent’s credibility due to minor differences in their testimony.
50. They were accused of shaking their baby but had denied doing so.

51. In August 2009, I was promoted to Sergeant at the Ipswich District Watchhouse.
52. In September 2009, I was on duty as shift supervisor working from 3pm to 11pm at the old Ipswich Watchhouse.
53. At about 6pm in the evening two detectives brought a male person, about 45 years age and charged him with manslaughter of a 5 year old boy.
54. I read the facts from the Court Brief. The 5 year old child had died after he succumbed to a brain injury which had occurred at the age of 2 years. The police were alleging that the defacto husband had assaulted the child however there was no indication of there being any investigation of symptoms before and after vaccines. The father had denied assaulting the child. Medical evidence of Shaken Baby Syndrome was adduced.
55. The police did not have any evidence against the father of foul play so they relied on medical evidence relating to ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ to charge him.
56. One of my colleagues put a copy of an article by Dr Vera Schreibner into the property of that prisoner.
57. The article is titled ‘The Shaken Baby Syndrome – The Vaccination Link’…I am able to produce that document.
58. Tendered and marked exhibit…..
59. I believe it was my experiences and suffering post Hepatitis B vaccination during my training has led me to believe it is necessary to objectively investigate all evidence, especially vaccines and to encourage parents to speak out without fear of prosecution and persecution.
60. I ceased employment with the Queensland Police Service on the 21st of October 2010 at the rank of Sergeant and Registered Number 4007505.

I understand that a person who intentionally makes a false statement in a statutory declaration is guilty of an offence under section 11 of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959, and I believe that the statements in this declaration are true in every particular.

Declared at Gympie Qld Australia on Monday 2nd day of July 2012)…………………………………
Before me……………………………………………………. JUSTICE OF THE PEACE

Whilst I acknowledge that Chris’ intent is – albeit with no evidence – to blame vaccines for a vast range of shocking injuries, I can’t help noticing that he glossed over the corruption of a colleague. He alleges at point 56:

One of my colleagues put a copy of an article by Dr Vera Schreibner (sic) into the property of that prisoner.

Whilst that publication and Scheibner herself are both thoroughly discredited, one cannot ignore the accusation being made. Although the chronology as to when this occurred is unclear, Savage claims that one of his colleagues placed an article by Scheibner into a prisoners property.

Why did Savage not report this absolutely black and white breach of conduct at the time? Did he observe the event? Hear of the event? Dream the event? Either way accessing a prisoners sealed property should occur in the presence of the prisoner or an independent witness. Preferably both.

That single accusation simply obliterates the intended relevance of the so-called “oath” concocted above.

Why was the article placed in the prisoners property? To infer the arrested male had schooled himself on Scheibner’s “vaccination link” to use as a defence? Did Savage’s mate aim to help or hinder the arrested male, who was charged with manslaughter? Was it done at the request of the detectives who arrested the prisoner? The detectives who, “did not have any evidence against the father of foul play”, so then relied on Shaken Baby Syndrome to charge him.

These are very, very serious accusations. More so there is an undercurrent of police apathy running through the entire “oath”. Savage can apparently remember conversations from 19 years ago. No doubt then, he can recall very fine details from just three years ago. After all he stated under oath:

I understand that a person who intentionally makes a false statement in a statutory declaration is guilty of an offence under section 11 of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959, and I believe that the statements in this declaration are true in every particular.

So what will it be I wonder? His colleagues are corrupt and (as far as we know from Savage) sought to destroy the life of an innocent man? That they planted false evidence in a prisoners property for what appears to be a self serving abuse of justice? The evidence of Shaken Baby Syndrome was used without legal justification?

Did Detective Sergeant Roger Lowe secretly watch the vaccine conspiracy video Savage gave him and, duly influenced by this video, fail to charge a mother from Moura over the death of two of her babies?

Or, Chris Savage deliberately made a false statement under oath and is thus guilty of an offence under Section 11 of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959? If so, what are we to make of the rest of his Declaration?

No doubt the intellectual repugnance of the SIDS and Shaken Baby myth will deeply offend those touched by these tragedies. From individual parents to medical staff and support agencies the impact is one of universal disgust. That vaccination is associated with a lowering of SIDS cases is widely known. In fact early social media chatter is not terribly kind to this “despicably insane former Queensland Police Officer”.

Whether Savage gets what he deserves or what he needs, it would be very helpful if he soon got some due attention.

Or words to the same effect.