A toddler who died after contracting meningitis did not display external signs of the infection and it was only during the post mortem that the cause of death was established, a court heard today.

Pathologist Brigitte Ellul, who carried out the post morten, provided details about the death of  two-year-old Aimee Abela in the criminal case against seven doctors who are pleading not guilty to the involuntary homicide of the child in February 2011.

The doctors cannot be named by court order.

Her parents, Jacqueline and Carlo, believe that their daughter was wrongly diagnosed, which led to her death. 

In the last sitting held in February, a court appointed medical expert, Mario Scerri, told the court that from his investigations the infection could have been identified had the proper tests been carried out.

In today’s sitting Dr Ellul under cross examination by lawyer Joe Giglio, said that there were no external signs on the child’s body and meningitis was only established as the cause of death during the post mortem.