I could weep

[Dee]

Vegans get life sentences in baby's starving death

A vegan couple in Atlanta have been sentenced to life in prison for the death of their malnourished six-week-old boy, who was fed a diet largely consisting of soy milk and apple juice.

Superior Court Judge L.A. McConnell imposed the automatic life sentences Tuesday on 27-year-old Jade Sanders and 31-year-old Lamont Thomas.

Their son, Crown Shakur, weighed only 3½ pounds when he died of starvation on April 25, 2004.

Sanders and Thomas were convicted on May 2 of charges of murder and cruelty to children.

Defence lawyers said the first-time parents did the best they could while adhering to the lifestyle of vegans, who typically don't consume or use any animal products.

They said Sanders and Thomas did not realize the baby, who was born at home, was in danger until minutes before he died.

But the prosecution persuaded the jury that the couple had deliberately underfed and neglected their baby, then tried to use veganism as an excuse.

"The vegan diet is fine," prosecutor Chuck Boring told the jury during the trial. "These parents lied about what they fed him. He just was not fed enough."

He added: "They’re not vegans. They’re baby-killers."

The Canadian Pediatric Society says a vegan diet may compromise the growth of infants and children. The group suggests a less restrictive lacto-ovo diet of non-animal foods plus eggs and dairy products for children to meet their nutrition needs.

(source (http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/05/09/vegan-baby-death.html))

Where the hell are those parenting licenses?!?

[GodSistah]

He added: "They’re not vegans. They’re baby-killers."


This is exactly on point.

Very sad, indeed.

:(

~Andrea~

[Dee]

I don't support the death penalty Andrea, but if I did these two would be prime candidates.

[Darlene]

I don't even a parenting licence would have helped! These "idiots-a word I don't even use" could not tell that a 3 1/2 pd baby was in danger. My smallest twin only weighted 4 pound 12 oz. And she really looked like a baby in the womb. She her and her big brother at 5 Pd's both would put their legs folded up against their bodies when you would hold them. I can't imagine what that little boy looked like at six weeks and so small.
Those parents should spend the rest of their life in prison. I don't believe in the death penalty but if I did these two would be likely candidates.

Be at Peace Little One!
Darlene

[DaveM]

The sad thing is that the diet which killed the child would not harm the parents, so sentencing them to life on a vegan diet wouldn't be just. Send 'em to prison--and make them eat meat.

A sad example of what happens when any course of conduct based in ethics is elevated to the level of a religion.

[Dee]

It wasn't the vegan diet per se Dave. It was that lack of adequate food.

They "deliberately underfed and neglected their baby."

There is no punishment that could possibly fit this crime. The only consoling factor I can think of is that the baby is free of them now.

[aabram]

Notice how I waited til all my kids grew up before I decided to worry about my diet.... Yes I lost weight, but I needed to. Catherine has gone back to eating meat because of her foot which is showing signs of deterioration. I can't have that..... :eek: Her decision, not mine.

[DaveM]

There actually is a woman on Death Row in Pennsylvania who allegedly starved her child to death. Evidence that the child suffered from "failure to thrive" was never presented in court. As the same woman raised four other perfectly healthy children, who knows?

I do wonder if this might have been the case here. Obviously I have only what's been presented on this board to go by, but could there be more to the story?

Either way, it's certainly a case for the establishment of parenting licenses--no question about that.

[sky]

I would like to know what he weighed at birth, but becasue he was born at home they probably don't know? I think they did underfeed him!

If they wanted to give him soy milk why not give him soy based baby formula fortified for and intended for infants? Several of my children have milk allergies and we had to feed them soy based baby formula---they grew like weeds! They have always been so large they were in the 115 % and the growth charts.

Also the news said the fed him applejuice---you never feed a baby under 4-6 month juice--especially applejuice because it causes diahrea (sp)--it is hard for them to digest. he was probably malnourished, dehydrated, and fighting diahrea to top it all off.
Sky

[DaveM]

All excellent points, Sky.

[Darlene]

Originally posted by DaveM:
There actually is a woman on Death Row in Pennsylvania who allegedly starved her child to death. Evidence that the child suffered from "failure to thrive" was never presented in court. As the same woman raised four other perfectly healthy children, who knows?

Sometimes parents may raise a number of healthy children. But for some reason there is one that they have a difficult time with. They just pick one child out to abuse and no one know why it is that particular child. That happened with me and my sister she could do no wrong and I could do no right. It was just the way it was.
Peace, Darlene

[DaveM]

Oh yes--I was the "designated one" in my family and still can't do anything right. Finally learned that there was really no point in trying and found better things to do. I only wish I'd learned a bit earlier--I could have done so many better things with the time.

As to the woman in Pennsylvania, I really don't have all the details and certainly don't want to start a major discussion. But I do know that she tells everyone that the child who died was "always so sick". One can only wonder if the child was indeed ill or if the illness, if that is the right word, was in the soul of the woman obligated to care for her.

[david uk]

It wasn't the vegan diet per se Dave. It was that lack of adequate food.

They "deliberately underfed and neglected their baby."



yes indeed, the headline is very misleading.

[Beth]

I suspect there is a lot more to this story than we know. Certainly there is the burden of failure here systemically. I do not agree with lifetime prison sentences as helpful for this family. There just is an awful lot of work to do out there to build healthy families.