Parents charged for not helping dying daughter

[Azn]

Wis. parents who prayed as diabetic daughter died charged - Yahoo! News

Two parents who prayed as their 11-year-old daughter died of untreated diabetes were charged Monday with second-degree reckless homicide.
Family and friends had urged Dale and Leilani Neumann to get help for their daughter, but the father considered the illness "a test of faith" and the mother never considered taking the girl to the doctor because she thought her daughter was under a "spiritual attack," the criminal complaint said.
"It is very surprising, shocking that she wasn't allowed medical intervention," Marathon County District Attorney Jill Falstad said. "Her death could have been prevented."
Madeline Neumann died March 23 — Easter Sunday — at her family's rural Weston home. Her parents were told the body would be taken to Madison for an autopsy the next day.
"They responded, 'You won't need to do that. She will be alive by then,'" the medical examiner wrote in a report.
An autopsy determined that Madeline died from undiagnosed diabetic ketoacidosis, which left her with too little insulin in her body. Court records said she likely had some symptoms of the disease for months.
The Neumanns each face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. The couple and their attorney did not immediately return messages left Monday by The Associated Press.
Falstad said the Neumanns have cooperated with investigators and are not under arrest. They have agreed to make an initial court appearance Wednesday, she said.
Randall Wormgoor, a friend of the Neumanns, told police that Dale Neumann led Bible studies at his business, Monkey Mo Coffee Shop, and believed physical illness was due to sin, curable by prayer and by asking for forgiveness from God, the complaint said.
Wormgoor said he and his wife, Althea, were at the Neumann home when Madeline — — called Kara by her parents — died. Wormgoor said he had urged the father to seek medical help and was told the illness "was a test of faith for the Neumann family and asked the Wormgoors to join them in praying for Kara to get well," the complaint said.
Althea Wormgoor said she "implored" the parents to seek medical help for the girl, the complaint said.
Leilani Neumann, 40, told the AP previously she never expected her daughter to die. The family believes in the Bible, which says healing comes from God, but they have nothing against doctors, she said.
Dale Neumann, 46, a former police officer, has said he has friends who are doctors and started CPR "as soon as the breath of life left" his daughter's body.
According to court documents, Leilani Neumann said in a written statement to police that she never considered taking the girl, who was being home-schooled, to a doctor.
"We just thought it was a spiritual attack and we prayed for her. My husband Dale was crying and mentioned taking Kara to the doctor and I said, 'The Lord's going to heal her,' and we continued to pray," she wrote.
The father told investigators he noticed his daughter was weak and slower for about two weeks but he attributed it to symptoms of the girl reaching puberty, the complaint said.
A day before Madeline died, according to the criminal complaint, the father wrote an e-mail with the headline, "Help our daughter needs emergency prayer!!!!." It said his daughter was "very weak and pale at the moment with hardly any strength."

The girl's grandmother, Evalani Gordon, told police that she learned her granddaughter could not walk or talk on March 22 and advised Leilani Neumann to take the girl to a doctor.
Gordon eventually contacted a daughter-in-law in California who called police on a non-emergency line to report the girl was in a coma and needed medical help. An ambulance was dispatched shortly before some friends in the home called 911 to report the girl had stopped breathing, authorities said.
One relative told police that the girl's mother believed she "died because the devil is trying to stop Leilani from starting her own ministry," the complaint said.
The Neumanns said they moved to Weston, a suburb of Wausau in central Wisconsin, from California about two years ago to open the coffee shop and be closer to other relatives. The couple has three other children, ages 13 to 16; they are living with relatives.
The family does not belong to an organized religion or faith, Leilani Neumann has said.
Everest Metro Police Chief Dan Vergin said the parents once belonged to the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church but later became what he called religious "isolationists" involved in a prayer group of five people.
"They have gone out on their own," he said. "... They have a very narrow view of Scripture and I would say not many people hold to that narrow of view." In March, an Oregon couple who belong to a church that preaches against medical care and believes in treating illness with prayer were charged with manslaughter and criminal mistreatment in the death of their 15-month-old daughter. The toddler died March 2 of bronchial pneumonia and a blood infection that could have been treated with antibiotics, the state medical examiner's office said.

Misunderstaing a situation can lead to death. But, god dam lmao. To bad for the girl. Guess god wasn't on her side.

[Nivikran]

fucked.up.shit.

this is why the neighbours should've reported shit like this,not everyone deserves to be a parent or has the right mind to be one

I hope they burn in their imaginary hell.

[{Pebbles}]

Oh mi gosh.. that's horrible. Im glad I dont live next to anybody. *whew*

Thanks for that Azn.

[Keerua]

This is fucked up.....you let your own daughter risk death and actually die because it is a test of faith from some fucking imaginery skyrider you don't even know is real? There should be legal requirements for parenting....

[Bara]

Nothing new.
Many faiths do not believe in blood transfusions,etc. It then boils down to what the person/parent/guardian believes in. It is not hard anymore to get a court order to over ride the decision-if the child is where that can be done.

[Yedi]

Originally Posted by Bara

Nothing new.
Many faiths do not believe in blood transfusions,etc. It then boils down to what the person/parent/guardian believes in. It is not hard anymore to get a court order to over ride the decision-if the child is where that can be done.

I think Jehova's Witnesses don't accept blood transfusion, if I now remembered correctly. So this case isn't that odd.

[ACCUNE]

"Faith without works is dead".

[the lil lub]

i saw this more than a month ago.

i dont like medical interference to an extent. but for something that dangerous and that treatable.... they are stupid.

my parents told me this little story when i was a kid:

there was a flood and this guy was stranded on this island. (i realise that is conflicting... i think it was a mountain that kinda ended up like an island.... i dont remember, but that part isnt important.) a plane came by to help him and he refused saying "my God will save me." the next day a helicoptor came by to help him and he said "no thank you, my God will save me." the next day a boat came by and the man again said "no thank you, my God will save me."

the following day the man died and when he met God for his judgement he said "i was always faithful to you and when i needed you on that island you abandoned me!" God said, "i sent you a plane, a helicoptor, and a boat and you refused my help."

___ such a simple story, but this article reminds me of it. such idiots in this world. if they believe so strongly in God, why would they refuse the help their daughter could have had? they shouldve been thankful that her medical condition was treatable and that she could live with it, rather than thinking God would just take the illness away from her.

[Yedi]

Originally Posted by the lil lub

i dont like medical interference to an extent.

To which extent?

[Apoo]

They should be chargerd with 2nd degree murder.

[the lil lub]

Originally Posted by Yedi

To which extent?

like when it comes to things that work themselves out, or that you can get rid of on your own.

for example pink eye. i know so many people who think you NEED antibiotics for pink eye. so NOT true. i fought tooth and nail with certain people who told me i was stubborn and wrong and were mad at me for not going to their doctor bc they were so sure their kids would catch it from me.

1 - i caught the pink eye from the kids
2 - pink eye goes away in 3 days by itself so long as you dont touch it

they tried forcing me to go to the doctor, and i am stubborn so i just got angry and refused. to make them shut up, i called my doctor to ask if i needed to go. he laughed at me and told me i didnt have to go and just wait a couple of days and it would go away.

i told these adults that were fighting with me and they didnt believe me. o well.

but yea for stuff like that. or a cold. or for my depression problem.

i think if i can take care of it on my own, there is no need for me to mess with medication and unnecessary expenses.

and i dont mean just anything that can be taken care of naturally, i just mean things that i myself am capable of taking care of. it depends on the individual.

like giving birth. yes, that can be done at home. but i myself do not feel confident nor do i have enough knowledge to be able to do that on my own. so i will give birth in a hospital.

some people with depression have it really badly and cannot cope or live with it. they have the right to choose help if they need it, if the help is there. im considering getting help for my depression bc im pregnant and i know after giving birth my hormones will make it worse. i dont want that to interfere with my parenting abilities.

[Yedi]

Originally Posted by the lil lub

like when it comes to things that work themselves out, or that you can get rid of on your own.

for example pink eye. i know so many people who think you NEED antibiotics for pink eye. so NOT true. i fought tooth and nail with certain people who told me i was stubborn and wrong and were mad at me for not going to their doctor bc they were so sure their kids would catch it from me.

1 - i caught the pink eye from the kids
2 - pink eye goes away in 3 days by itself so long as you dont touch it

they tried forcing me to go to the doctor, and i am stubborn so i just got angry and refused. to make them shut up, i called my doctor to ask if i needed to go. he laughed at me and told me i didnt have to go and just wait a couple of days and it would go away.

i told these adults that were fighting with me and they didnt believe me. o well.

but yea for stuff like that. or a cold. or for my depression problem.

i think if i can take care of it on my own, there is no need for me to mess with medication and unnecessary expenses.

and i dont mean just anything that can be taken care of naturally, i just mean things that i myself am capable of taking care of. it depends on the individual.

like giving birth. yes, that can be done at home. but i myself do not feel confident nor do i have enough knowledge to be able to do that on my own. so i will give birth in a hospital.

I totally agree with you. Do you know that more and more bacterias gets immune to antibiotic of this reason? People shouldn't eat antibiotics for a simple cold, as an example.

[the lil lub]

Originally Posted by Yedi

I totally agree with you. Do you know that more and more bacterias gets immune to antibiotic of this reason? People shouldn't eat antibiotics for a simple cold, as an example.

yes exactly. ive been reading parenting magazines and theres this whole freak-out about germs being immune to antibiotics and antibacterials. they should have seen it coming! survival of the fittest, and evolving doesnt just occur with animals and humans.

if its not broken, dont fix it. i think this applies to germs also.

doctors have said for years not to take a baby outside for the first 3 months bc of all the bacteria you will expose to them. but did you know a recent study shows that babies who arent taken outside in their first three months are most likely to develop allergies and asthma?

it seems the world is so afraid of the little things and create bigger problems.

sorry that was a tad off topic.

[<revolution>]

thats crazy............some people should not be parents............i hope they get sentened to life...........

[Solid4Snake]

WTF... the girl did nothing to deserve to die!!!!

[Cane_The9lives]

Originally Posted by Tony

They should be chargerd with 2nd degree murder.

They are being charged with second degree reckless homicide.
With up to 25 years in prison.

[krozar]

I guess their prison sentence will be divine intervention as well. According to their logic.

[Azn]

The father told investigators he noticed his daughter was weak and slower for about two weeks but he attributed it to symptoms of the girl reaching puberty, the complaint said.
A day before Madeline died, according to the criminal complaint, the father wrote an e-mail with the headline, "Help our daughter needs emergency prayer!!!!." It said his daughter was "very weak and pale at the moment with hardly any strength."

really now. they are hopeless. this is like one of those extreme christians.

[Cane_The9lives]

Originally Posted by Azn

really now. they are hopeless. this is like one of those extreme christians.

Undoubtebly, i know alot of people believe in faith healing but i have never known anyone in my life(who believe in faith healing) to believe to that extreme, gambling the life of others or themselves.

[zshortysmall]

Yet another reason Judaism kicks ass.
Judaism says that getting medical help is the best thing to do when you get sick, but you should obviously pray too.
There is an old saying that says "pray as if God is the only hope, but do as if you are the only hope."