The implication was clear. There was no way Madeleine had sent Clara to school knowing she was measles infectious.
“Thank you very much, Mrs. Cooper,” said the defense barrister. “No further questions.”
48
She was good, Declan thought. Likable, even.
But, of course, this lady had lots of experience in playing to the cameras, hadn’t she? And like any shamed media personality tasked with preserving their reputation, Madeleine Cooper had performed well and played her part to perfection as the sympathetic, reasonable parent who had made quick decisions, while at the same time openly admitting she hadn’t done everything right.
A stark contrast to the woman who’d issued a counterclaim accusing Kate of slander and defamation.
Declan couldn’t wait for Nevin to start in their side’s cross-examination, although he also hoped the barrister did not come across as overly aggressive. The media had been dancing gleefully on this woman’s grave for the past year, and he knew everyone, including the judge, had been very eager to hear her side of the story.
“Mrs. Cooper,” Patrick Nevin began smoothly. “Good afternoon.”
“Please, call me Madeleine,” she replied, evidently feeling a lot more comfortable.
“Madeleine, of course,” said the barrister with a smile. “So, Madeleine, you stated previously that as soon as you realized your daughter had contracted measles, you took your son out of Applewood Primary School right away.”
“Yes, that’s correct. I kept Jake at home as soon as I knew for sure that Clara had the disease.”
“Despite the fact that Jake had contracted the disease previously?”
“Yes, but he could still transmit the infection, I knew that. But no other children from the school came down with it, thank goodness.”
“Thank goodness indeed,” said Nevin carefully. “Now, you also said that, as a parent, you wouldn’t want to put other children at risk.”
Madeleine nodded in agreement. “Of course. It goes without saying that no parent wants to see a child get sick—no matter if it’s theirs or someone else’s.”
“Indeed. But, Mrs. Cooper, you are surely aware that you put other children at risk of this every day because of your decision to not vaccinate yours?”
“Objection!” called out Michael McGuinness. “Argumentative.”
“Overruled,” said the judge. “Answer the question please, Mrs. Cooper.”
“I don’t believe so, actually,” answered Madeleine, lifting her chin a little. “That also depends on parental decisions for the child in question.”
“Such as?”
“Such as whether that parent decides to vaccinate their own child. Either way, it is none of my business, nor is it up to me to interfere. There is no law against not vaccinating children in Ireland.”
“I am not looking to discuss other parents’ decisions regarding vaccination as a point of law, or otherwise, but rather the facts,” replied Nevin. “Based on previous testimony of medical professionals in this court, do you or do you not understand the concept of herd immunity, and how in not vaccinating your children, you compromise this and put other—particularly more vulnerable—members of the public at risk?”
“Mr. Nevin, I believe the same question could be asked of your own client. After all, her daughter is not vaccinated, either.” Declan noticed the irritation in Madeleine’s voice here as she shot a glance in Kate’s direction.
“But my client is not on the stand, Mrs. Cooper. Please, answer the question.”
Visibly stiffening, Madeleine rearranged her features carefully.
“Mrs. Cooper?” Judge Dowling said. “Your response?”
“My choices as a parent are my choices, and indeed my husband’s,” stated Madeleine crisply. “Just as Ms. O’Hara and her late husband chose not to vaccinate their daughter based on evidence that doing so could impact their child’s health, so, too, did my husband and I. Which is our right. No laws were broken.”
Nevin seemed to consider the witness as he formulated his next question.
“Yet isn’t it true, Mrs. Cooper—Madeleine—that you have somewhat of a reputation, even publicly, for being cavalier about not just your own children’s safety, but others’, too?”
“I’m not sure what you’re referring to,” she answered quickly, but Declan was pretty sure that she knewexactlywhat was coming. CueMad Mumand the litany of damaging articles that so readily painted her as a self-confessed laissez-faire parent.
