Had a man done this, would things be different?

[Motokid]

Released to mental hospital

Had the husband murdered the five kids would he be on death row?
Would he be released to a mental hospital?

I'm afriad things would be drastically different if she was a he. Is that right or wrong?

Are mothers that murder treated differently than fathers that murder?
Should they be treated differently?

 

[abecedarian]

This case has always bothered me for a number of reasons. First of all, I feel her husband should be held somewhat responsible for not getting her into care. He refused to see that she was in trouble, and just told her to pray about it and get over it. As a Christian, I have a problem with that attitude. But aside from the religious slant, I feel she should be treated in a mental institution as long as her doctors believe it is necessary, then she should be place in a women's prison for life. I don't think she should get out after a few years in a hospital. I don't know if she would ever harm someone elses kids, but I'd hate to err on the side of tolerance.
I don't remember all the particulars on this case, but I remember feeling she was victimized by her husband's refusal to get her help. Still, an adult has to take responsibilty for their actions, and drowning three kids in a tub is just not the best way to vent.

 

[Motokid]

and drowning three kids in a tub

"releasing her from incarceration for the first time since the five children were drowned in the family bathtub in June 2001."

Just to clarify...

 

[abecedarian]

"releasing her from incarceration for the first time since the five children were drowned in the family bathtub in June 2001."

Just to clarify...

You expect a woman with 10 kids to be able to count

 

[Motokid]

You expect a woman with 10 kids to be able to count

yep

Are you sure it's ten if you can't count?

 

[abecedarian]

yep

Are you sure it's ten if you can't count?

My husband waited til they were all asleep one night, and since I'm a good Christian wife, I don't doubt his word for it

 

[Motokid]

My husband waited til they were all asleep one night, and since I'm a good Christian wife, I don't doubt his word for it

Let the man of the house handle the math huh?

You're a peach ABC...

 

[abecedarian]

Let the man of the house handle the math huh?

You're a peach ABC...

Well, when I try to count them, they move around, so I lose count..

But to get back closer to the topic, none of them would stand still long enough for me to drown them in the bathtub..that is just too horrible to think about.

 

[Motokid]

So why bother treating her mental illness if all you're gonna do is put her in prison for life after that? Why not just let her be in prison?

 

[abecedarian]

So why bother treating her mental illness if all you're gonna do is put her in prison for life after that? Why not just let her be in prison?

Seems like the lives of her victims deserve a longer sentence than a a handful of years in a mental hospital. I think "guilty, but insane" should inccur an automatic lifesentence, even after treatment, for murder. I'm not saying she should be housed with the worst offenders in her state, but she needs to be kept behind bars for life. The insanity plea is taken too lightly and people will always wonder if she was truly insane, or just a good actress. Either way, her children are dead by her hands.

 

[Miss Shelf]

But once she regains sanity and realizes what she did (if she hasn't already) isn't that a form of punishment? Everyone knows her name and some will recognize her wherever she goes, she will carry the label "baby killer". I'm not saying she deserves some prison time, but why should she get a harsher sentence than some people who torture and kill their children, or other peoples' children?

I think the husband has a lot to answer for, and I hope he never marries anyone else and puts them through his idea of a Christian life.

 

[Motokid]

I would still like to come back to my original thoughts...

Had a man commited the same crimes do you think he would be getting the same treatment? Could he plead insanity?

I don't know what the definition of "premeditated" is but my guess is had a man been the murderer (she is a murdered right?) he would probably be on death row right now. That's my guess.

Anyone else?

 

[Miss Shelf]

well, men don't suffer from postpartum psychosis, so I suppose it would be harder to work up sympathy for a man, and he'd most likely get at least life in prison if not death.

I don't see what reason a man would have to murder his five children, unless it was a case where "if I can't have the kids, neither can you" in a divorce, where he just wants to make his wife suffer.

I can't say with certainty that if I had five children, one right after the other, and suffered from postpartum psychosis and I didn't get any help from my husband (besides his advice to pray) I wouldn't do the same thing. Nobody wants to admit they might do something horrible in certain circumstances. I mean, women have done some awful things when they have PMS, and while I don't have PMS that bad, I've certainly had flashes of intense anger that seemed unreasonable once I'd calmed down. So I imagine postpartum depression/psychosis is about ten times worse than that.

 

[pontalba]

It seems that this case would be a candidate for mandatory sterilization. Both of them. Mother and father.