What a painful case out of Lansing, Michigan.
Joshua and Rachel Piland were recently found guilty of second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse for the death of their newborn daughter, Abigail. They’re to serve 20 to 45 years on the murder charge and 18 to 45 years on the child abuse charge, with their sentences running concurrently.
Abigail died of Rh-induced hemolytic disease of the newborn just 61 hours after she was born. The condition is caused by a conflict between the baby’s blood type and the mother’s blood type. It can usually be treated with a prenatal injection to the mother and a postnatal injection to the infant. Severe cases might require a transfusion for the baby.
According to Newser the parents believe in faith healing as put forward by Faith Tech Ministries. Rachel didn’t get any prenatal care, and they refused any medical care even when it became obvious that Abigail was in distress. They testified during the trial that they wouldn’t have called 911 even in case of trauma.
Where’s the line between strongly-held religious beliefs and child abuse?
My thoughts are all over the place here.
I don’t like getting The State involved in childcare decisions. I’ve heard too many stories of overreach by state agencies. They seem to get it wrong as often as they get it right.
And what of First Amendment protections?
By the same token though, The State is supposed to protect those most vulnerable, especially when those charged with their care won’t. The Piland’s two previous and next two children were both seized by CPS shortly after birth when they showed signs of HDN and the parents refused to treat them medically.
And quite frankly, I trust doctors far more than I trust God. Do people still die under medical care? Of course they do. Do healthcare providers screw up? Yup. All the time.
Do healthcare providers ever kill a baby to punish the baby’s murderous rapist father? Almost certainly not. But God has, and God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, right?
Who are you supposed to trust here? Who’s got the better track record?
I think The State got this one right. I’m curious what would have happened if the midwife had called 911 or CPS though, and I wonder if she was investigated at all.
No easy answers, really. Nobody won.
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Previously Published on bobmuellerwriter.com and is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock
