Apology from Simon Chapman to Sarah Laurie for defamatory tweet

The Waubra Foundation CEO Sarah Laurie has long been the target of the wind industry’s global product defence propaganda machine, because its commercial interests are particularly threatened by the work of the Foundation.

In recent years, the wind industry and its supporters have stooped to new lows, including wrongly publicly describing the CEO as a “deregistered” doctor despite knowing full well that was untrue. This is grossly and deliberately defamatory.

Simon Chapman, a Professor of Public Health at Sydney University has now issued an apology which is reproduced below:

CORRECTION & APOLOGY
FROM PROFESSOR SIMON CHAPMAN TO SARAH LAURIE

I am a Professor of Public Health at the University of Sydney.

On 20 March 2014, I retweeted the following tweet concerning Sarah Laurie:

NOT DROWNING, RANTING: Deregistered “Dr” Sarah Laurie doesn’t like the medicine dished up by @ama_media Waubrafoundation.org.au/resources/open”

My tweet implied that Ms Laurie had given cause to the Medical Board of Australia to deregister her as a medical practitioner, on account of unprofessional conduct: that she is not entitled to use the title “Dr”; and that she does so in contravention of the laws that govern the conduct of medical practitioners.

These allegations were implied without foundation and are entirely false.

Ms Laurie is not deregistered and has never been sanctioned by the Medical Board of Australia. Sarah Laurie allowed her registration as a medical practitioner to lapse for personal reasons; and accordingly, does not currently practice.

I sincerely apologise to Sarah Laurie for the harm, embarrassment and distress caused by my allegations, which I unreservedly retract.

Professor Simon Chapman
University of Sydney
NSW

View the Final Apology written by Simon Chapman here http://www.scribd.com/doc/274551083/Final-Apology