The parents who starved their baby son to death

@babykay (2131)
Ireland
May 11, 2007 5:16am CST
I know this is a very upsetting subject for most people and for this I apologise but I think it is important that we discuss it. These parents' 6 week old son was starved to death from the time of his birth as he was only fed apple juice and soya milk. The parents claim to be strict vegans and for this reason not to have wanted to give their child any animal products (presumably formula a lot of which contains cows milk). http://www.kirotv.com/news/13286030/detail.html "jurors deliberated about seven hours before convicting the couple last week. Lamont Thomas, 31, and Jade Sanders, 27, were convicted of malice murder, felony murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children. Prosecutors claimed the baby suffered a prolonged and painful death, not because of what he was fed, but because he was fed too little and that his nutritional needs were deliberately ignored by his parents. They prosecutors said the couple intentionally neglected their child and refused to take him to the doctor even as the baby's body wasted away." My question is, why on earth didn't these people just breastfeed their son? Also, even if they were strict vegans who didn't want to give him any formula, why not give him soya formula, not soya milk? Did they do this to their child deliberately? This is too upsetting to countenance. As you will see, they got life sentences. Do you think this is justified? If they did it deliberately I do think it is right they are locked up for life, but if not I don't know. What do you think.
11 people like this
16 responses
@PunkyMcPunk (1477)
• Canada
11 May 07
I am probably not going to have a popular opinion on this subject but I think those people should be executed. They killed an innocent. I know that they are strict vegan but they starved their child and didn't bother to get the baby help when it was needed. Any parent can tell when their child is sick and should know to take him/her to the docotrs of hospital. Also just because you believe in a certain way of life doesn't mean that you should make your children adhere to it. They shuold have waited until the child was older and then allowed the child to make their own decision on if they wanted to eat meat or not. When you are a parent you do what is in the best interests of the child not what you think feel or believe. They are evil selfish people.
1 person likes this
@sunita64 (6469)
• India
11 May 07
I personally feel such persons are fanatics in their beliefs and need mental treatment, it should have been a mental asylum for such persons not simply life imprisonment.
1 person likes this
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
20 May 07
It's hard to imagine that after 6 (or say 5) weeks, you wouldn't know the poor babe was starving.. I don't suppose he was very happy or contented either! Even if they meant well, how could they both possibly be so stupid? as to feed only juice and soy milk and not the soy formula as someone else also pointed out.. It's an all 'round shocking and sad story! At least the judge didn't dismiss the babe as a non-life.. as sometimes seems to occur (in some pedaphyle cases, even murder once in awhile).
@babykay (2131)
• Ireland
23 May 07
yes, at least the judge didn't do this - I would think if this happened in IReland that is exactly what would have happened. Women who kill or abandon their babies regularly get a slap on the wrist (at worst) a lot of the time they don't even have a conviction recorded against them!
@baileym11 (887)
• United States
12 May 07
I would like to know more details. I assume you mean soy. Were they seeing a doctor and why didn't he advise them differently? How could they not know he was hungry? I support their right to be vegan, but there are still many ways to provide your children with the nutrition that they need.
@rapolu_cs (1184)
• India
11 May 07
Yes what the punshiment they got is justified and what i feel is that even this is not enough for them and more than this they should be punshied,ofcourse tose parents who don;t care for their children they have no right for theur survival also and moreover why they should give birth if at all they are intented to kill the little one iam very sorry for the little angle. Firstly the god should not give them the oppurtunity of giving birth to such dames and devils and pray this should not to be happened to any of the kid in the world and god may save those children in such condition or situation.
• Philippines
12 May 07
No. I don't think the parents MEANT for their BABY TO DIE. It is wrong to blame the parents.. for what they want in the first place was for their baby was to have the right kind of diet. It is right for them not to let the baby drink animal products... but I guess they thought soya milk and apple juice was enough. They could have added more nutritional baby products for it and that was what they did not do... and they overlooked it. It was pretty much irresponsible. But... to think the murdered the baby.. I don't know...
@sweetlady10 (3611)
• United States
11 May 07
This is terrible. How someone can so evil with a new born baby and that also of their own. Why on earth they are so supersticious with their eating habit. This is just unbelivable. I hope other people who belive in their habits blindly will learn some lesson from this incident.
@Mecboy (1050)
• United States
11 May 07
That sure is not nice parenting. The parents should care for their kids. In high school,one of my english teachers say. Parents should be able to give their lives trying to protect their child to grow and live on and pass on the genes.
@Gwapako_28 (2140)
• Philippines
12 May 07
I guess,those parents are insane.I cant believe they can do that to their baby.They are just making excused.They dont even think that they might kill the baby. Where are their heart?Or even their mind??What the hell they are trying to do with their baby???Obviouly,killing him.
• Philippines
11 May 07
The parents of that unlucky baby appears like dumb and dumber to me. Were they strictly vegans when they were brought out into this world? I don't think so. So I don't see any reason why they had denied their own child of milk and nutrition. It's either they're too dumb or just plain wackos! They deserve a stiffer penalty, life sentence is like a slap on the hand on them!
• Philippines
11 May 07
Being a vegan is a choice. This is so cruel because the infant don't have a choice. I just wish that babies can choose their own parents.
@hollowheart (1572)
• India
12 May 07
Hi friend i support u totally on this and would say that it was a trechourous murder. How could a mother be so cruel as not to feed the baby. Atleast she shouldnt have been reluctant to give the baby her own milk and the necessary nutrition. I feel ther is nothing for u too appologise. It is an important topic as wee need to make the world a better place with a bit of humanity added to it.
@benn92 (3)
• United States
12 May 07
Thats just cruel
• United States
23 May 07
You ask if they (the parents) starved the baby deliberately? Without knowing all the facts, that question would be impossible to answer. Generally, if the couple existed on a vegan diet, they should be well informed on nutrition aspects of the diet. We can all agree on one thing: Its tragic and sad.
@dbeast (1495)
• India
11 May 07
oh my God how cruel can one get.i think this is madness.how can the parents probably be in their right senses do something like this to their own flesh and blood.and when these people knew that something like this was going to happen and if they did it wantedly i dont think the life imprisonment is enough for them.they should be given capital punishment.even though they were the parents of the child they had no right to play with the life of a small innocent baby.
@ellie26 (4139)
• Malaysia
11 May 07
This is truly absurd. What in the world were they thinking?