Doctor charged with the death of 2 children continues pleading not guilty
18:50, May 6, 2016 | News, Own news | Right to Life, Rights of Patients | Karine Hovhannisyan
On May 4, 2016, the General Jurisdiction Court of Armavir marz (region), presided by Vahe Khalatyan, resumed trial examination of the case of Anahit Petrosyan, Head of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Armavir Medical Center, charged with the death of young Karine Hovhannisyan and Erik Amirkhanyan.
The interests of the successor to Karine Hovhannisyan are protected by attorney Ani Chatinyan, lawyer at HCA Vanadzor.
At the court hearing, the parties asked defendant A. Petrosyan questions. Note that at the previous court hearing, the questioning of the defendant was completed and due to the heavy workload of G. Aloyan, prosecutor supervising the examination of the case, the court hearing was adjourned.
It is noteworthy that defendant A. Petrosyan answered the questions of the parties to the trial in an ironic and disrespectful tone and they repeatedly reprimanded her for doing so.
The defendant stated once again that she did not plead herself guilty for the death of the children, emphasizing that in one case the child was diagnosed with toxic shock, which is an irreversible phenomenon, and as for the other case, the child died at ‘Surb Astvatsamayr’ clinic 17 days after the incident.
Then two of the witnesses, summoned to the court by the motion of the defense party, were questioned; the 3rd witness did not attend the court hearing due to health problems, and the defense party considered it unnecessary to hear the witness at the following court hearing by withdrawing its motion in terms of the witness in question.
One of the summoned witnesses was Ara Asoyan, the chief infectious diseases specialist of the Republic; the fact of summoning him as a witness was obscure to the extent that he did not possess any essential information about the case and could answer only the questions about the children’s condition and the actions taken. A. Asoyan stated that he disagreed with the expert’s opinion, and A. Petrosyan’s actions were largely correct.
Note that according to the expert, A. Petrosyan had not fulfilled her professional duties properly, which caused the death of the patients.
Despite the above, at the defense party’s observation that it was not the attorney, but the defendant who would ask questions Ara Asoyan, the witness countered, “Should she as well ask me any question?”
Then A. Asoyan urged the defendant to answer the questions without arrogance and not to create any tension.
However, in his testimonies Ara Asoyan obviously aimed to protect the defendant.
The other summoned witness was also questioned. The witness was the doctor of Bambakashat village, to whom Karine Hovhannisyan’s family turned for first medical aid and who then urged them to transfer the child to Armavir Medical Center. The other witness also did not possess any essential information for the outcome of the case.
The next court hearing is scheduled for May 18, 2016, at 11:30 am, during which the parties to the trial will deliver speeches.