CHILD killer Beverley Allitt is still allowed to nurse her sister's
baby when the family visits her in Rampton Hospital, her father revealed
yesterday.
Mr Richard Allitt, 49, also said he believed his daughter was innocent
and that he would be asking his solicitors to appeal against her
convictions.
He was speaking as the families of the child victims stepped up their
campaign, with a lawyer saying that a report on the children's ward
where Allitt worked in Grantham and Kesteven Hospital was a whitewash.
The call follows Allitt's conviction for murdering four children at
the hospital, attempting to murder three, and causing grievous bodily
harm to six other youngsters.
Solicitor Ann Alexander, who is acting for the families, called on
Health Secretary Virginia Bottomley to meet a delegation of parents, so
that they could ''explain to her why the decision not to have a full
public inquiry is wrong''.
Mr Allitt, his wife Lilian, 45, and their other three children, Donna,
28, Darren, 18, and Alison, 21, regularly visit the top-security
hospital where Allitt is awaiting sentence.
He said Donna let her hold her eight-month-old daughter, Katie, during
the visits.
Mr Allitt said: ''She spends most of the time in the arms of her
Auntie Beverley.
''We have always had complete trust in her and still do.''
Speaking about the case for the first time, Mr Allitt, of Corby Glen,
near Grantham, Lincolnshire, said: ''We believe Beverley is innocent
because we do not think she had it in her to do the things they say she
did.
He added: ''She has always looked after babies in the village and lots
of parents have trusted her with their children. They thought she was
marvellous.''
Mr Allitt, a delivery man, went on: ''We have always been law-abiding
citizens and none of us have ever been in any sort of trouble.
''But I am not too sure about the law now: there are a lot of people
who have been wrongly locked away.
''There are always two sides to every story.''
Mr Allitt said he spoke to his daughter, who is suffering from the
slimmers' disease anorexia nervosa, almost every evening.
''Obviously she is upset but she is pretty calm and has some good
people looking after her,'' he said.
Mrs Linda King, mother of baby Christopher King -- Allitt was
convicted of causing him grievous bodily harm -- told a news conference
at Grantham that the families were unanimous in demanding a full public
inquiry.
''We are adamant that the horror which we have all had to live with
should not be repeated,'' she said.
Ms Ann Alexander said that there were suspicions in the hospital that
24-year-old Allitt was suffering from a hysterically-based syndrome, she
said.
But she was concerned that the regional health authority had not been
prepared to admit that it was aware of those suspicions.
It was disclosed on Monday that Allitt was suffering from a rare
personality disorder known as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.
The families have said they feared that the independent inquiry to be
chaired by Sir Cecil Clothier which Mrs Bottomley announced yesterday
would not be able to get to the bottom of what happened.
It was likely to sit in private and would have no powers to compel
witnesses to attend, or for evidence to be taken on oath.
Mr Christopher Taylor -- Allitt murdered his eight-week-old son Liam
at the hospital in spring 1991 -- suggested that Mrs Bottomley should
try to put herself in the same position as the victims' families.
''She would want nothing less than what we want,'' he said.
Yesterday's Trent Regional health Authority inquiry report said all
young patients at Grantham and Kesteven Hospital should be given
round-the-clock cover by qualified nurses.
It criticised staffing on Ward 4, the children's ward where Allitt
worked, and said the role of night sisters should be urgently reviewed
and their work with children clearly defined.
The hospital should review the appointment and assessment of
paediatric nurses, and have a core bank of nurses with specialist
qualifications or experience in child nursing.
The report also called for sweeping changes in the way medicines were
given to children, saying that in future a fully qualified children's
nurse must take responsibility for administering drugs.
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