Foreperson in Shore inquest speaks out on controversial decision

The jury foreperson at the recently concluded inquest into the death of Lisa Shore at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children says she personally welcomes a criminal investigation into the hospital and its staff. 

Gail Allegri said that, after hearing the evidence called at the inquest, which began last November, she believes a criminal investigation would be ``appropriate.'' 

Allegri would not elaborate, saying coroner's jurors are not supposed to make findings of civil or criminal responsibility. 

Ten-year-old Lisa died Oct. 22, 1998, less than 12 hours after her mother brought her to the emergency ward for pain relief. 

The five-member jury heard evidence Lisa's nurses had failed to monitor her for possibly deadly effects of the morphine she was given, and allegations from the Shore family of a hospital cover-up. 

Shortly after the jurors delivered their controversial verdict of homicide Thursday, Detective-Sergeant Mike Davis, of the Toronto police homicide squad, began a preliminary probe. 

Homicide, as defined by a coroner's jury - which by law can't assess blame - is based on a neutral definition: the killing of a person by another. 

Shore family lawyer Frank Gomberg had asked that the Toronto Police Service investigate the hospital and its staff for possible criminal negligence causing death, obstruction of justice and perjury. 

Allegri told The Star she wants to clear up two misconceptions the public may have about the verdict. 

She said she was particularly concerned that recommendations relating to the education of doctors and the information they should demand from nurses could be taken as criticism of Dr. Markus Schily, the emergency room physician who placed Lisa on a self-administered morphine pump and issued orders for monitoring. 

``Everything Dr. Schily did reflected caution and professionalism on his part,'' Allegri said. ``He went out of his way to draw attention to the orders he had entered on the hospital's computerized patient information system, on his hand-written emergency notes that accompanied Lisa to her floor. 

``I believe that Dr. Schily did a fine job,'' she added, ``and that was the consensus of the jury.'' 

Allegri said she was also concerned about some media reports suggesting the jury's finding of homicide was ``a cavalier decision made out of anger. 

``The homicide verdict was not given for its shock value,'' Allegri stressed, ``but I have no doubt that people were shocked. 

``The finding of homicide,'' she added, ``was reached after very careful consideration of the evidence. 

``It was given with conscience.''