An abuse of state power and state money

Yes, it's social workers again, removing children from their parents on the say so of one doctor and severely limiting the parents' access. It took over two years for the family to be reunited.

It wasn't social services who probed the original medical opinion.

The case collapsed a week before a final court hearing, after the family consulted a U.S. expert who found no suggestion of any sexual abuse.

A UK doctor agreed - and the original doctor who had examined Courtney then accepted their findings.

Newport council asked for the case to be dropped.

The family were reunited in September 2006. Understandably, the couple then began a compensation battle against Newport council and Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust.

It's taken nearly five years for the claim to be settled. Taxpayers footing the bill are not allowed to know the amounts of the settlements. Nor do we know the amount of the legal costs.

So we don't know the financial cost to us of this foul up.

What went wrong, and who is to blame?

Under the settlement, the family are banned from commenting further on the case.

A state body should never be allowed to impose a gagging order like this.

Did I ask who was to blame?

The NHS Trust said a serious case review had established that the doctor who examined the child had been working within her professional guidelines and no fault had been attached to her.

We can't judge. We don't know who she is. Does she have a track record of this? Was it a one off, or do we have shades of the notorious Dr Marietta Higgs?

You don't get told. You just get to pay the bills to keep these smug so called public servants comfortable until they get it wrong again.