John Vater KC, Alex Perry and Daniel Sheridan in R, S, T (Perplexing Presentations: Findings and Welfare), Re [2026] EWFC 194 (B)
17th Jul 2026 | Cases
John Vater KC, leading Daniel Sheridan, acted for the Applicant Local Authority in R, S, T (Perplexing Presentations: Findings and Welfare), Re [2026] EWFC 194 (B). Alex Perry, instructed by Jackson West, appeared for the Second Respondent.
The judgment highlights the importance of rigorous forensic analysis in cases involving alleged perplexing presentations and medically unexplained symptoms. It demonstrates the need for the court carefully to examine both the medical evidence and the factual matrix before reaching conclusions as to whether a parent has subjected a child to unnecessary medical procedures and/or interventions.
The proceedings concerned findings that the mother had, over a number of years, subjected the children to unnecessary medical investigations by repeatedly reporting serious, but largely unsubstantiated, medical conditions. As a consequence, the children came to believe that they were unwell despite there being no established organic basis for many of the reported conditions. This resulted in years of unnecessary medical intervention, poor school attendance, and significant emotional harm.
The judgment carefully considers the mother’s genuinely held beliefs in respect of her children’s health against the extensive body of professional evidence demonstrating that many of the reported symptoms lacked a medical foundation. It provides a detailed examination of overmedicalisation, parental mental health, the distinction between anxiety-driven behaviour and fabrication, and the circumstances in which protective measures and court orders are required to safeguard children’s welfare.
