Pacific / Samoa

Samoan nurses' MMR trial delayed until June

11:21 am on 27 March 2019

There has been a further delay in the trial of two Samoan nurses charged over the deaths of two children last year after receiving MMR immunisations.

Photo: 123rf

Our correspondent Autagavaia Tipi Autagavia said the nurses appeared before the chief justice in Samoa's Supreme Court last week and their defence lawyer confirmed he would continue to represent them.

However, the nurses' lawyer has now requested more information from overseas sources involved in the investigations into the cause of the childrens' deaths.

"The defence lawyer is now asking the prosecution for the report on the post mortem carried out here. And also another research of this outcome of the post mortem overseas, because he hasn't received that report from the police.

"So now it's been given one week for that to be served. And the trial is now set to begin in June."

The nurses' trial was originally set for January this year after the children's deaths in July 2018, but there have been several delays.

Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia said the prosecution is also waiting for more information from overseas agencies on the vaccines used in the case.