23 July, 2017
Doctors and nurses treating terminally ill baby Charlie Gard at Great Ormond Street Hospital have received "menacing" death threats along with thousands of abusive messages.
Scotland Yard has been informed and the hospital has warned it will seek the prosecution of anyone suspected of threatening its staff.
"But the abuse of staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital outside the hospital and online is totally unacceptable".
Charlie's parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard have fought a high-profile legal battle against GOSH to have their son, who was born on 4 August 2016, flown to America to receive the highly experimental nucleoside treatment.
"In recent weeks the GOSH community has been subjected to a shocking and disgraceful tide of hostility and disturbance".
Charlie is now being kept alive by doctors at GOSH, who have received thousands of abusive messages, Ms McLeod said.
In a statement, she said numerous messages were menacing, including death threats, and that the hospital was in close contact with the police.
Parents visiting their seriously unwell children have also been harassed, including on the grounds of the hospital itself, she said.
Parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard took their case to the European Court of Human Rights but judges refused to intervene.
MacLeod said Charlie's case was a "heart-breaking one".
"We recognise the tireless advocacy of Charlie's loving parents and the natural sympathy people feel with his situation".
GOSH is in close contact with the Met Police regarding the abuse. "I am working with her and the Hospital to support the staff and to ensure that those responsible are held to account". "There is no place for this abuse and it has to stop".
The court has previously ruled in favour of the hospital and said 11-month-old Charlie should be allowed to die with dignity.
On Monday and Tuesday, Dr. Michio Hirano, a neurologist from New York's Columbia University Medical Center, met with doctors caring for Charlie and other experts and evaluated the boy in London.
According to the association, Gollop told the judge Friday that doctors had produced a report on the newest scan and said, "it makes for sad reading".
Charlie's parents then took the case to the Court of Appeal which was heard on May 23 with the court dismissing the appeal two days later.
