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Faith healing proponent parents sentenced for death of daughter

Dale and Leilani Neumann of Wausau, Wisconsin could have saved their daughter. But they chose to rely on God rather than take their daughter to the doctor. Because they imposed their religious beliefs on their 11-year-old daughter, the young girl died. Yes, the parents have a right to believe as they like, but what about the rights of their daughter? Didn't she have a right to live?

The couple was sentenced yesterday for their part in their daughter's death. They received a sentence of one month in jail per year for the next six years and 10 years probation. And in a weird move the judge, according to an MSNBC report, said he wants them to spend the time "'think[ing] about Kara and what God wants [them] to learn from this." It seems the judge wants them to reflect. After all, why punish people who the judge believes are "very good people?" So, why not just send them to a spa so they can meditate? This "punishment" does not seem to fit the crime.

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Comment by Dre Smith on October 8, 2009 at 10:02am: I'm curious to know what race these people were...I got to be upfront about that because had this been some muslim black family living in brooklyn ain't no way in hell pardon the pun they would have gotten this kind of light sentence. "They are who we thought they were" and the judge seriously let them off the hook.

Comment by SJ on October 8, 2009 at 12:05am: It's an interesting ruling when you consider the judge took religion into account. What would his ruling be for a the murder of an OB/GYN who performed abortion procedures if the perpetrator was "well-meaning" and thought he was saving lives?

Comment by unholyroller on October 7, 2009 at 11:35pm: I agree with Tear and Sonny. These nutjobs are unfit parents who comitted murder and their asses should be in jail.

Comment by AcesLucky on October 7, 2009 at 7:27pm: This case was negligent homicide. The religious nature of the case should have been irrelevant. That's how others learn; they get treated according to the law without preferential treatment. No one, and no group, should be above the law.

Should terrorists get preferential treatment because their motivations are religious?

Comment by K on October 7, 2009 at 5:23pm: They did what they really believed was right. A better punishment, IMO, would be to sentence them to some science and history classes. That would serve a higher purpose than just thinking about their little girl for a month.

Comment by Sonny Mobley on October 7, 2009 at 1:28pm: They should be starved to death. This pisses me off. They murdered a little girl! And if you can get away with that then you can get away with anything.

Comment by Johnny on October 7, 2009 at 11:56am: I agree with John. I think that this judge was very good about it. If he made the sentence too harsh, then the religious community would have had an uproar of horrible "just" thinking.

I would have liked to see this addition of "think about what you did" to be actually imposed, however; perhaps sentence them to a rehibilitation clinic of sorts where they can realize how treating religion like science is wrong; even if that hypothetical clinic is with other Christians, since I'm sure many people find this wrong. Unfortunately my view of punishment here must stay hypothetical since there is no such clinic LOL.

I am the most radical athiest there is and I believe everyone should be athiest, so don't get me wrong. This is terrible, but you can't make people better by punishing them horribly.

Comment by O'Tater on October 7, 2009 at 11:28am: I want to be sympathetic to their plight but I can't find it in me. All I can say is, "Idiots!". There is no excuse for endagering the life of your child, and there is NO excuse for believing that prayer will be sufficient to save your child's life. Unless you've been living under a rock your entire life, you darn well know there are some conditions that can't just be left alone, and if they'd rather let their child die than act because they want to adhere to, "The will of God" then they are unfit parents. Period.

Comment by Dave Rogers on October 7, 2009 at 10:21am: It's scary the judge wants them to continue their delusion in their useless, imaginary overlord. The punishment also sends out the wrong message to other faith-healing, criminally negligent parents.