Angela Cannings' sparked furious debate

Two families who claim their children were wrongly taken into care after false accusations of abuse have taken their cases to the court of appeal.

They dispute diagnoses of Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP), meaning they allegedly caused or exaggerated their child's illness.

Mrs Cannings joined a protest at court by those with children in care.

She said: "I have had the tragedy in my life. I have had to deal with trying to prove my innocence."

Terry and I feel [we can help] today just to support the families that are going through heartache Angela Cannings

Mrs Cannings said her successful battle against convictions for murdering seven-week-old Jason in 1991, and 18-week-old Matthew in 1999, had raised issues about the way expert's opinions are treated in court.

Despite MSBP not playing a major part in her trial, Mrs Cannings said she could empathise with families, saying: "We've lost children through cot death but also we had the threat of our daughter going into care.

"Terry and I feel [we can help] today just to support the families that are going through heartache."

She said the main danger to justice in the family courts, where the standard of proof is lower than in criminal courts, came from experts' opinions and assumptions.

Challenge experts

But she did concede that it was important to distinguish genuine abuse cases from those where there was no concrete medical evidence.

"What we have to be careful with and what we realise is that there are genuine child abuse cases going on. Obviously those investigations and cases have to be brought forward.

"In cases where there doesn't seem to be any proof, evidence, clear-cut evidence, initially there should be an investigation but then leave it at that."

She said her aim was to challenge experts where this had been impossible previously.

"On the broader issue I would like to now see questions brought against experts who actually bring these accusations in the first place.