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Scientology and the case of Dr Patrick Cosgrove "Dr Patrick Cosgrove was one of the pioneers of the use of controversial methylphenidate (Ritalin) to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The Citizens’ Commission on Human Rights and Overload Network, the Scottish based advocacy group for patients with the condition, have both complained to the GMC about Dr Cosgrove, saying he was too ready to prescribe off label drugs" [psychminded.co.uk]
The same page of their site goes on to say, “The Citizens Commission on Human Rights was co-founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and Dr. Thomas Szasz, Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, to investigate and expose psychiatric violations of human rights.” For a further list of some of the more prominent individuals involved with this organisation, click here. When one reads the quote from L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology, on CCHR’s About page, the group’s view of psychiatry and psychiatrists is very clear: “It is your human right to be free from false accusation when you have not committed any crime. Within psychiatry, patients are involuntarily committed, imprisoned, or detained without committing an offence whereby "patients" or prisoners are often forced and subjected to unwanted, brutal and harmful practices against their will, that don't produce cures. This would be a violation of your human rights.” If you looked at the list of so-called “commissioners” involved with CCHR you may have noticed, under the heading “Medicine & Health”, the name “Janice Hill, Janice Hill Foundation”. A look at CCHR London’s MSN group’s Sources of Help page shows that one Janice Hill also appears to be involved with the Overload Network, as is confirmed by this article from the BBC. So, it seems that the primary complainants against Dr Cosgrove (CCHR and Overload Network) had very strong links to an organisation dedicated, as Dr Thomas Szasz confirms in a quote from the CCHR website, to the destruction of psychiatry, “We should honour CCHR because it is really the organistation that for the first time in human history has organised a politically, socially, internationally significant voice to combat psychiatry. This has never happened in human history before.” It seems that in “combating psychiatry” they chose to complain about a child psychiatrist whose work in the treatment of ADHD has been described as “pioneering”. The choice of target makes sense because pioneers tend to make new discoveries and advance their field of study – clearly a goal that is incompatible with the stated objectives of CCHR and its Scientologist founders.
Dr Cosgrove was, apparently, fully aware of the anti-psychiatry stance adopted by Scientology, CCHR and its co-founder Dr Thomas Szasz. He was very strongly critical of an article by Dr Szasz published in the BMJ in December 2003. In support of his comments he referred to the Foster Report, commissioned in 1969 by Richard Crossman, Secretary of State for Social Services, to produce a report for the UK Parliament. The Enquiry into the Practice and Effects of Scientology was published in 1971. Quoting the report, Dr Cosgrove said, “Foster says that he was told by Scientologists that there were Scientologists actively involved in the BMA (Section 67). Since that was more than thirty years ago now, I would expect there are more members of this cult employed at the BMA and undertaking work at the BMJ. There is now evidence indicating and suggesting that there are Scientologists working in the Fitness to Practise Directorate of the General Medical Council of the UK. So be careful all you British psychiatrists…” Richard Smith, the then editor of the BMJ, vehemently denied that there were any Scientologists within the organisation, although he didn’t make clear how he could possibly speak with any certainty on this point. We asked the GMC to tell us how many (if any) Scientologists currently worked for them, but they flatly refused to discuss it with us. In 2001, the GMC told the BBC, “We gave an undertaking in the interests of transparency and openness to publish a register of members interests and we have now done so.” Apparently, the interests they are willing to disclose do not include membership of organisations dedicated to the destruction of a significant part of the profession that the GMC is charged with regulating. Taken in isolation, Dr Cosgrove’s allegations of Scientology-driven influence at the GMC may not, at first glance, appear particularly credible. After all, the GMC eventually struck him off the medical register! Unfortunately, support, albeit unintended, for his concerns comes from a very unlikely source, in the shape of anti-Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy campaigner, Ms Penny Mellor. Ms Mellor has been at the forefront of a concerted campaign against a number of child protection specialists, and has apparently been assisted in this by members of the Scientology movement. Many documents suggest that Scientology is anti-child protection [Scientology - A Destructive Influence on Children] [Leaked Documents of Child Dianetics - Scientology] The Church of Scientology presented Ms Mellor with an award for her campaigns. “PENNY MELLOR, from the Dare to Care parents justice group, was honoured for her vigorous campaigning to expose the psychiatric label "Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy," where parents or caretakers are alleged to have fabricated symptoms of illness in a child to gain attention for themselves. In accepting the award, Ms. Mellor said, "It is a huge honour to receive this award in recognition not for my work, but for those parents who have had the confidence in me and allowed me to fight in their name."” In an email to one such parent, Ms Mellor said, “I don't know how you feel about the scientologists, they don't believe in drugging children, and get some bad press, however they are very keen to help any parent with autistic children who has been labelled, no strings attached, they have helped me get loads of MSbP psychs struck off... something to think about it can be done at your discretion but they do have a lot of resources, doctors etc who help falsely accused parents.” And, on the 5th June 2005, she said, “"Here's the scientologists email address cchruk@btconnect.com you want to talk to Brian Daniels and he'll do whatever he can to help you". It is therefore clear that Penny Mellor encourages individuals to become involved with Scientology – described in the Anderson Report as “a fabric of falsehood, fraud and fantasy [page 48]” - and that this happened through the website msbp.com. The number of individuals recruited by Scientology in this way is unknown. Mr Daniels makes no secret of his involvement with Scientology. His websiteis very clear on the subject, and the UpTone News blog is equally informative. The associations are unavoidable – Scientologists made an award to Ms Mellor, they have, she says, helped her to get “loads of MSbP psychs struck off”, and she apparently facilitates contact between CCHR and those who have issues with “MSbP psychs”. CCHR, and Overload Network, with which a prominent CCHR commissioner is involved, were the primary complainants against Dr Cosgrove, who was not only a leading child psychiatrist, but was also critical of CCHR and Scientology. In fact, Brian Daniels was intricately involved in the complaint against Dr Patrick Cosgrove. Penny Mellor took such an avid interest in Dr Patrick Cosgrove that she discussed his case on the website msbp.com. At that time, a large number of doctors were being struck off, any one of whom could have been the subject of discussion, but Ms Mellor chose a Paediatrician whose case was of particular interest to Scientology. It would hardly be surprising if those organisations were to seek Dr Cosgrove’s erasure from the medical register, and, according to both his claims in the BMJ and Ms Mellor’s email, they may well possess the means by which that could be brought about. And, if that were to be the case with Dr Cosgrove, would it be too far fetched to wonder whether similar techniques might also have been used to secure the erasure of David Southall from the register? After all, his work was closely involved with the very MSbP diagnosis (a psychiatric diagnosis with paediatric implications) that, according to Ms Mellor, had led to CCHR helping her to get “psychs” struck off. Surely if, as is claimed, this were possible in the case of mere foot soldiers in the battle against MSbP, such a tactic could not be withheld in complaints against one of the foremost proponents of the MSbP diagnosis? Dr David Southall was subject to no less than 40 virtually simultaneous complaints.
In a letter to the Guardian, a paediatrician said “Ringleaders in the campaign include Mrs Penny Mellor (who has reported Dr Southall to the GMC over 20 times, has accused him of murder and says she wants to see him behind bars), certain journalists and an MP, who has used parliamentary privilege to liken Dr Southall to Joseph Mengele in his 'experiments' (ie research) on children”. Of course, the GMC is famed for "saving" complaints against a given doctor and ammalgamating them into one big complaint when they think they can get away with it. The tactics used in this case are strikingly similar to the well known “Attack the Attacker Policy” that is often associated with Scientology. 1) Spot who is attacking us. 2) Start investigating them promptly for felonies or worse using own professionals, not outside agencies. 3) Double curve our reply by saying we welcome an investigation of them. 4) Start feeding lurid, blood sex crime actual evidence on the attackers to the press. The 10 year campaign against Dr David Southall has entailed repeated defamatory, inflammatory postings strewn across the internet, multiple complaints to any and all agencies who might possibly have any authority to act, vilification by the press, numerous police inquiries that have come to nothing, numerous NHS inquiries that have found no cause for complaint and of course continuous complaints to the General Medical Council. In each case, the bizarre accusations have involved a lengthy defence process to unpick each misinterpretation and inaccurate accusation. Certainly, there is a degree of similarity between the GMC’s decisions in the Southall and Cosgrove cases. But whether this is, or could be, the result of Scientologists’ influence on the GMC’s proceedings cannot be determined one way or the other. The GMC either can’t or won’t say whether or not there are Scientologists within its ranks, and no formal investigation is likely into the possibility that such influence could, if left undetected and uncontrolled, lead to massive and frequent miscarriages of justice. Once again, the GMC seems willing to bury its collective head in the sand and ignore the risk that some of its members and / or staff could have their own agendas, and that those agendas might be incompatible with the GMC’s statutory function. Both the public and doctors would be well advised to demand that the GMC immediately confirm or deny the presence of any Scientologists within the organisation, and, if there are any, institute a review of all cases that they have handled involving psychiatrists and / or child protection specialists. Transcripts for Dr Patrick Cosgrove’s GMC Hearing can be downloaded here. Patrick
Cosgrove Day 1 Related Links Scientology - A Destructive Influence on Children Whitewash doctor is struck off Ritalin-pioneering psychiatrist suspended for undermining patients' trust in treatment. CHILDREN AGED 3 GIVEN DRUGS TO MAKE THEM BEHAVE Psychiatrist suspended for undermining patients' trust in treatment
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