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Jail terms for faith healing pair

MyOwnDrum

MyOwnDrum

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It seems the judge handed out a very wise and fair decision. What do you think? They will be able to keep custody of their other children, but will be monitored.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Jail terms for faith healing pair

A US couple who prayed rather than seeking medical attention for their dying daughter have been sentenced to six months in jail.

Dale and Leilani Neumann, of Wisconsin, could have received up to 25 years in prison over the 2008 death of Madeline Neumann, who was known as Kara.

The 11-year-old died of an undiagnosed but treatable form of diabetes.

Judge Vincent Howard ordered the couple to serve one month in jail each year for the next six years.


God probably works through other people, some of them doctors
Judge Vincent Howard

One parent will serve the term in March and the other in September.
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The sentence was not long enough.
 
I'm disappointed to read that the pair is appealing this. It seems to me that the judge acknowledges that, in other ways they are good and loving parents. He seems to be offering them time each year to spend a month of reflection and penance. Instead they appear to be unrepentant.
 
Seems appropriate. They probably didn't intend for their daughter to die, but that does not change the fact that they were grossly negligent and unfit to parent their other kids without supervision.
 
Kandahar said:
Seems appropriate. They probably didn't intend for their daughter to die, but that does not change the fact that they were grossly negligent and unfit to parent their other kids without supervision.
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I'm sure most people don't want to kill their kids. But still, it's like throwing a toddler off a roof and saying that you didn't intend for them to fall. I don't know, it's a tough place between religion and the rights of others. I don't know what the girl wanted, I would say the length of punishment would be heavily influenced by that.
 
I get the feeling that the judge was creatively constructing a sentence that would allow the parents to pay a penance and have time to reflect and pray. It is a highly unusual sentence that was respectful of the couple's spirituality and the needs of their other children.

The fact that they rejected it, and intend to appeal, is telling...
 
Ikari said:
I'm sure most people don't want to kill their kids. But still, it's like throwing a toddler off a roof and saying that you didn't intend for them to fall. I don't know, it's a tough place between religion and the rights of others. I don't know what the girl wanted, I would say the length of punishment would be heavily influenced by that.
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She was only 11, so I'm not especially inclined to care what she wanted. If she was 15 or 16, that would be a different matter.
 
You know, the Bible says that you shall not tempt God. By denying their child medical treatment, they are doing exactly that, just as the snake handlers are.

Ignorance is a terrible thing.
 
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