Diagnosing Murder, Episode 2: The Science
From Trial by Water by The Age and Sydney Morning Herald
October 17, 2025 · 1h 0m
About this episode
The episode explores the ongoing debate among doctors and lawyers regarding the validity of shaken baby syndrome as a cause of brain damage.
Doctors and lawyers can't come to a consensus on the science of shaken baby syndrome 50 years after it was first proposed as a theory. Does shaking a baby actually lead to the brain damage seen in historical and current cases? And why has the argument become so heated that some describe it as a war? For exclusive content and additional reporting on the case, available to subscribers of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, visit theage.com.au/podcast/diagnosingmurder . Subscribe now to theage.com.au or smh.com.au to access the special Good Weekend investigation. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Topics covered
- shaken baby syndrome
- brain damage
- medical consensus
- legal debate
- historical cases
- science
Keywords
- shaken baby syndrome
- brain damage
- medical debate
- legal implications
- historical cases
- science
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Age, Sydney Morning Herald
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- Introducing: Diagnosing Murder · September 25, 2025 · 4 min
- Bonus Episode: Farquharson Inside · April 6, 2025 · 27 min
- Bonus Episode: The Psych Report · December 19, 2024 · 24 min
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