A review of the life of John Plunkett (1947–2018)

The unusual forensic pathologist John Plunkett began life in a family steeped in legal tradition, his father becoming a judge at age 29, bringing his 8-year old John to court to observe. A man of the people, Dr. Plunkett had a mind intolerant of deviations from objective truth, which he used to establish factual innocence. Initially diagnosing 2 cases as Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) himself, his critical mind and ability to learn made him an early apostate from SBS beliefs. He worked on 948 medico-legal cases throughout his career. While helping others, he himself was sued by a prosecutor to silence him, but Dr. Plunkett was unbowed, and found not guilty by a judge. Not a natural academic, he nevertheless published highly cited articles on basic, oft-forgotten truths such as the lethality of short falls and the existence of lucid intervals. His articles have stood the test of time. He knew science is not a democracy, and counselled other physicians attacked in courts due to holding minority views. Plunkett influenced the lives of many accused and their children, eventually becoming expert in the thinking that could lead to false allegations of child abuse. This eventually defined him, as featured in a documentary movie, The Syndrome.