SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED



Following on the heels of miscarriages of justice where so-called expert testimony lead to the imprisonment of a number of mothers charged with infanticide when their babies had actually suffered cot-death syndrome this week has seen a new blow to the British legal system over shaken baby cases. Once again it appears so-called expert testimony which is often offered in lieu of actual witnesses or evidence may have lead to a strong off wrongful convictions.



We at the Gazette can now reveal that a little-discussed but widespread crime is about to cause further embarrassment to the judicial system. Domestic abuse is all too widespread, hidden behind closed doors. Even more widespread is Domestic Appliance Abuse and Mis-use (or DAAM as social psychologists refer to it). Many home appliances are tormented and abused by their owners, of this there is little doubt. Newspapers have all too often carried distressing photographs of the battered bodies of fridges and washing machines lying abandoned in some anonymous lay-by. Most likely to be abused however are humble vacuum cleaners. Stressed from a long day of work normally placid homeowners take our frustrations on their Hoovers when they fail to work properly. This has become known as Shaken Vac Syndrome.