Witnesses in litigation – particularly in emotionally charged family cases – sadly do not always tell the truth. However, as one case concerning injuries suffered by a baby girl showed, judges are highly experienced in detecting lies told under oath.
Social workers became involved after the girl, who was only a few months old, suffered three broken ribs and extensive bruising. A fact-finding hearing, designed to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators, was convened before a family judge, who found that the child’s mother bore sole responsibility for her injuries.
In her ruling, the judge found that the mother had cynically and manipulatively tried to blame the injuries on her boyfriend, who was besotted with her. She was an untruthful historian who had exerted emotional pressure on her boyfriend and had actively discouraged him from giving evidence against her.
In rejecting the mother’s challenge to the judge’s ruling, the Court of Appeal found that there was ample evidence to support the findings against her. The outcome of the case was likely to be of crucial significance in ongoing care proceedings concerning the little girl’s future.