Dr Sethi is a Consultant Paediatrician with specialist expertise in Child Protection, with extensive experience in the preparation of independent medico-legal reports for court proceedings.

He provides expert opinion across a wide range of safeguarding and child protection matters, including physical abuse, neglect, emotional abuse, sexual abuse (medical aspects), fabricated or induced illness (FII) and cumulative harm.

Dr Sethi is a highly competent and reliable Medico Legal Professional and Expert Witness with over 20 years’ experience. He has produced expert reports and Court evidence, primarily in a Family Law setting. Covers Family Law, Care Proceedings, Criminal Law, Personal Injury and Insurance. He has a special interest in Child Protection and Child Health areas, including head injury, child sexual abuse, shaken baby syndrome and fabricated & induced illness. He is a listed Expert of the NCA. Recognised by The Shaken Baby Foundation (USA) as a world expert.

His reports are prepared in accordance with CPR Part 35 and Family Procedure Rules and he is experienced in providing joint expert discussions, addendum reports, and oral evidence when required. Dr Sethi is known for producing clear, structured and well-reasoned reports, accessible to both legal professionals and the court, while maintaining strict independence and impartiality.

Dr Sethi has chaired and developed Guidelines/ Protocol for: Safeguarding Medical Assessment including CSA ( Child Sexual Abuse), FII – multiagency and single agency (health), Sudden or Unexpected Death in Infancy and Childhood (SUDIC) – Multi-agency and single agency (health including A&E, ambulance & Primary care), Child Death Review (CDOP), Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) amongst others. He has experience in providing evidence in court when required.

Dr Sethi has experience in cases associated with:

Physical abuse:

• Bruising (pattern, location, age, mechanism)
• Fractures (including metaphyseal, rib, skull fractures)
• Head injuries (including abusive head trauma)
• Burns and scalds
• Abdominal or internal injuries
• Bite marks
• Injuries inconsistent with the development stage or explanation provided
• Female genital mutilation (FGM)

Neglect:

• Failure to thrive
• Poor growth or malnutrition
• Missed medical appointments or immunisations
• Failure to provide prescribed treatment
• Poor hygiene impacting health
• Unsafe living conditions affecting health
• Medical opinion addresses:
  – Impact on physical and neurodevelopment
  – Cumulative harm
  – Whether neglect meets safeguarding thresholds

Emotional abuse:

• Development delay linked to adviser caregiving
• Behavioural or psychosomatic symptoms
• Effects of chronic exposure to hostility, rejection or fear
• Emotional harm secondary to domestic abuse exposure
• Parental behaviours impacting emotional wellbeing

Sexual abuse (medical aspect only):

• Genital or anal findings (including normal variants)
• Interpretation of examination results
• Sexually transmitted infection in children
• Medical consequences of sexual abuse
• Differential diagnoses for concerning findings

Fabricated or induced illness (FII):

• Exaggeration or fabrication of symptoms
• Induction of illness or injury
• Excessive medical presentations
• Interference with investigations or treatment
• Analysis of medical records over time
• Identification of patterns of concern
• Assessment of harm and risk to the child

Prenatal and perinatal safeguarding issues:

• Impact of parental substance misuse on the child
• Effects of untreated maternal mental illness
• Safeguarding concerns in newborns
• Medical vulnerability requiring protective measures

Domestic abuse:

• Physical injury to the child
• Emotional and development effects of exposure
• Health consequences of living in violent environment
• Shaken baby syndrome

Child death & serious incident reviews:

• Sudden unexpected death in childhood (medical contribution)
• Review of medical care and safeguarding factors
• Contribution to serious care reviews or court proceedings
• Sudden or unexpcted death in infancy and childhood (SUDIC)
• Child death review (CDOP)

Family court & care proceedings:

• Threshold reports for care or supervision orders
• Assessment of child’s medical needs in relation to parenting capacity
• Health impact of family circumstances
• Long-term prognosis and future healthcare needs

Dr Sudhir Sethi report turnaround time is 4-6 weeks.