Praying man let his daughter die

Status
Not open for further replies.
Soldato
Joined
13 Mar 2006
Posts
6,712
Praying man let his daughter die

Dale Neumann during his trial in Wausau Wisconsin, 28 July 2009
Dale Neumann faces up to 25 years in prison

A US jury has found a man guilty of killing his sick 11-year-old daughter by praying for her recovery rather than seeking medical care.

The man, Dale Neumann, told a court in the state of Wisconsin he believed God could heal his daughter.

She died of a treatable disease - undiagnosed diabetes - at home in rural Wisconsin in March last year, as people surrounded her and prayed.

Neumann's wife, Leilani Neumann, was convicted earlier this year.

The couple, who were both convicted of second-degree reckless homicide, face up to 25 years in prison when they are sentenced in October.

A lawyer representing Dale Neumann said he would appeal.

'Faith healing'

During the trial, medical experts told the court that Neumann's daughter could have survived if she had received treatment, including insulin and fluids, before she stopped breathing.

On Thursday Neumann, who is 47 and studied in the past to be a Pentecostal minister, said he thought God would heal his daughter.

"If I go to the doctor, I am putting the doctor before God," he said. "I am not believing what he said he would do."

He also said he thought his daughter had had flu or a fever, and that he had not realised how ill she was.

Neumann's lawyer said he had been convinced that his "faith healing" was working, and that he had committed no crime.

The prosecution argued that Neumann had minimised his daughter's illness and that he had allowed her to die as a selfish act of faith.

They said the girl should have been taken to hospital because she was unable to walk, talk, eat or drink.

Instead, an ambulance was only called once the girl had stopped breathing.

Dear oh dear. Why do some people take this view of "God will make it so if it's supposed to happen". Isn't that just a form of stupid laziness?
 
Associate
Joined
30 Apr 2008
Posts
79
Sorry. I just have a problem with crazy religious types who let their children die based on something that is fake. Is it possible for people like that to be a worthy part of society? Selfish twits!!!
 
Caporegime
Joined
30 Jun 2007
Posts
68,784
Location
Wales
Reminds me of the parents who let their child die because they believed homoeopathy would cure her.

it's not just religious types hat do this.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
13 Mar 2006
Posts
6,712
Reminds me of the parents who let their child die because they believed homoeopathy would cure her.

it's not just religious types hat do this.

Yes, but it's slightly different in this case - from what I can tell from the argument they didn't doubt the power of conventional medicine to work, they just chose to trust their daughter recovering through God choosing to act or not. And since his track record in answering prayer has a lower success rate than medical treatment, they chose to puther at far greater risk imo and so are culpable, no matter how fervent their belief.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom