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UK’s foreign secretary backs doctors in Baby Charlie case

This is an undated hand out photo of Chris Gard and Connie Yates with their son Charlie Gard provided by the family, at Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London. The president of the United States has offered to help. The pope is willing to have the Vatican hospital take him in. Some 1.3 million pounds ($1.68 million) have been raised to help him leave Britain for treatment. But little has changed Tuesday July 4, 2017, for Charlie Gard, a terminally-ill British infant suffering from a rare genetic disease that has left him severely brain damaged. (Family of Charlie Gard via AP)
This is an undated hand out photo of Chris Gard and Connie Yates with their son Charlie Gard provided by the family, at Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London. The president of the United States has offered to help. The pope is willing to have the Vatican hospital take him in. Some 1.3 million pounds ($1.68 million) have been raised to help him leave Britain for treatment. But little has changed Tuesday July 4, 2017, for Charlie Gard, a terminally-ill British infant suffering from a rare genetic disease that has left him severely brain damaged. (Family of Charlie Gard via AP) This is an undated hand out photo of Chris Gard and Connie Yates with their son Charlie Gard provided by the family, at Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London. The president of the United States has offered to help. The pope is willing to have the Vatican hospital take him in. Some 1.3 million pounds ($1.68 million) have been raised to help him leave Britain for treatment. But little has changed Tuesday July 4, 2017, for Charlie Gard, a terminally-ill British infant suffering from a rare genetic disease that has left him severely brain damaged. (Family of Charlie Gard via AP)

By Associated Press 1 min read

LONDON (AP) – Britain’s foreign secretary has backed the decision by U.K. courts to refuse to allow a terminally ill child to travel abroad for treatment for a rare genetic condition.

U.K. envoy Boris Johnson’s comment to the Italian foreign minister on Wednesday came after the Vatican children’s hospital offered to treat 11-month-old Charlie Gard. Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano raised the Vatican hospital’s offer in a previously scheduled call.

Johnson’s spokesman says the “Foreign Secretary said this was a deeply tragic and complex case for all involved, and said it was right that decisions continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts.”

A succession of judges has backed specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London who say the treatment won’t help Charlie and may cause him to suffer.