This is a (unfortunately) fairly common occurrence - parents watch as their child dies, trusting to prayer rather than a medical doctor.
The parents in this case were found guilty of second degree murder:
Parents who prayed for sick daughter
Here's a summary of the legal issues involved:
So - the debate question is this-
In you opinion, should parents have a legal right, and immunity from prosecution, for refusing life-saving medical treatments for their children?
The parents in this case were found guilty of second degree murder:
Parents who prayed for sick daughter
Here's a summary of the legal issues involved:
The couple's attorneys argued that Wisconsin law protects people from being charged with child abuse if they provide spiritual treatment for a child in lieu of medical assistance. They contended the law protects parents from criminal liability through the point of creating a substantial risk of death, making it difficult to know when a situation has become so serious that parents who stay with prayer healing become criminally liable. State attorneys countered that parents are immune from child abuse charges but not homicide counts, arguing that once they realize a child could die, their immunity ends.
More than a dozen states have some form of legal protection for parents who choose prayer healing for their children over conventional medical attention. But they've been wrestling for years with how far those protections go.
More than a dozen states have some form of legal protection for parents who choose prayer healing for their children over conventional medical attention. But they've been wrestling for years with how far those protections go.
In you opinion, should parents have a legal right, and immunity from prosecution, for refusing life-saving medical treatments for their children?
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