Paediatric surgeon Peter Beale found not guilty over deaths of three children in SA

Paediatric surgeon Peter Beale has been acquitted of all charges related to the deaths of three children after a lengthy murder trial.

The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg delivered its verdict on Tuesday, finding Beale not guilty of three counts of murder and fraud.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) charged Beale in 2019 following the death of a 10-year-old boy, who reportedly suffered complications after a procedure performed by the surgeon.

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Two other children — a three-year-old boy who died in 2012 and a 21-month-old girl who passed away in 2016 — were also linked to Beale’s medical procedures.

Beale, who was out on bail, was barred from performing surgeries by the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) in 2022.

He was initially arrested in October 2019 alongside anaesthetist Dr Abdulhay Munshi, who was shot and killed in 2020.

This is a developing story