Research Paper On Beverley Allitt

Jata MacCabe
Mrs. Jamieson (4)
Sociology 120
October 7 2015
Beverley Allitt: Nightingale Nightmare
Do No Harm “I will not do anything evil or malicious and I will not knowingly give any harmful drug or assist in malpractice.” Before a nurse may assume custodial responsibility over any patient, they must first pledge the Nightingale Oath. This vow states that as that as a healthcare professional your first responsibility must be assuring the safety of each patient in your care. In all healthcare facility interactions, a fundamental trust in medical professionals is required to assure timely and effective treatment —a deep-seated faith in healthcare workers assures prescribed medications and rehabilitation regimens are strictly adhered to.

Like many prolific serial murderers, Allitt was very adept at manipulating others into viewing her as trustworthy and unthreatening. In many cases, Allitt formed strong relationships with the parents of her victims. On one occasion, after killing 2 month old Becky Phillips by means of oxygen depravation and attempting to kill her surviving twin, Katie Phillips, Allitt was so adept at concealing her true nature that Katie’s mother believed her to have saved Katie’s life. Dreadfully ironically, Allitt was honoured with becoming the godmother of Katie Phillips, “despite having inflicted partial paralysis, cerebral palsy and sight and hearing damage on the infant.”

Instead, Allitt began to harm others in order to satisfy her addiction to attention. When an adult caregiver —in this case, Allitt— makes a child appear ill by fabricating or causing harm to the child in order to gain attention, it is called Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy. In deliberately causing harm to a patient, Allitt was provided opportunity to “save” the child, providing her with glory and gratitude that she would not otherwise receive. In the cases where she or others failed to resuscitate the patient, she would be treated with sympathy and affection, rather than the loathing she deserved. A psychologist may argue that it was Allitt’s parent’s apathy toward her that caused her to develop Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy, and that this was the major factor that caused her to kill these