Parents Can Be Charged With Murder For Not Seeking Medical Attention for the Children in a Timely Manner

Many people may not realize that parents have a very high legal obligation to their children when they are ill. If a parent fails to seek medical attention for their child and the child dies they can be prosecuted and even convicted of second degree murder. That is exactly what happened to the parents of a 17 year old girl who suffered from a form of diabetes. The minor was first diagnosed with the disease almost ten years prior to her death. She had several serious medical emergencies over the years. She was suffering from symptoms for five days prior to her parents making the decision to take her to the hospital. She died soon after being taken to the hospital. Despite the best efforts of their murder defense lawyers, the parent were both sentenced to prison.

The prosecution argued that the parents were guilty of second degree murder due to the child’s death. The father was sentenced to 17 years to life in prison. The mother was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. On appeal the court of appeals upheld the conviction and the prison sentences. The court of appeal concluded that the parents failed to act when their daughter became ill.

They found the parents received training on recognizing the symptoms of their daughter’s disease.

The tragedy of seeing your child die is unbearable. However, can you imagine being found criminally responsible for your child’s death and being sent to prison for a possible life sentence?
This is a clear wake up call to every parent in California.

If your child is ill and you fail to seek medical attention you could face criminal charges. The state of California can look at your actions and decide if you were too slow to act if your child dies or becomes otherwise injured due to a delay.

We would love to hear your comments on this decision and the sentence imposed by the court.