Couple charged- baby treated with homeopathy dies

Giraffe107 · 4th December 2008, 08:02 PM

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=682522

A couple in New South Wales have been charged with manslaughter after their 9-month-old daughter died. She was severely malnourished and she was suffering such bad eczema that much of her skin was split. Her father was a homeopath and allegedly treated her with homeopathic remedies instead of proper medicine.

What precedent does this set in Australia? If the couple are found guilty, will homeopaths still be allowed to treat people? Will restrictions on who they treat and for what conditions be created?

qwints · 4th December 2008, 08:12 PM

I doubt that this will create a new precedent. There should already be requirements to provide actual treatment to children.

I'm curious about the malnutrition. This case might not deal with the way the child was treated as the failure to feed.

gumboot · 4th December 2008, 08:20 PM

In New Zealand failing to provide the necessities of life to a child is a crime. I suspect it's no different in Australia, so I aren't convinced this is setting any sort of precedent.

krelnik · 11th December 2008, 06:36 AM

Incidentally, although the current news stories about this are protecting the parents anonymity, this case had been in the news before. The victims name was Gloria Thomas. You can read her case at my site here:

http://whatstheharm.net/homeopathy.html#gloria_thomas

I'm glad to see the parents are finally facing some consequences for this. There was an earlier court proceeding that was dropped for some reason.

4th December 2008, 08:02 PM	#1
Giraffe107 Graduate Poster Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 1,336	Couple charged- baby treated with homeopathy dies http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=682522 A couple in New South Wales have been charged with manslaughter after their 9-month-old daughter died. She was severely malnourished and she was suffering such bad eczema that much of her skin was split. Her father was a homeopath and allegedly treated her with homeopathic remedies instead of proper medicine. What precedent does this set in Australia? If the couple are found guilty, will homeopaths still be allowed to treat people? Will restrictions on who they treat and for what conditions be created?
	__________________ Love is a snowmobile racing across the icy tundra that suddenly flips over, trapping you beneath. At night the ice weasels come. - Matt Groening

4th December 2008, 08:20 PM	#3
gumboot lorcutus.tolere Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New Zealand Posts: 23,124	In New Zealand failing to provide the necessities of life to a child is a crime. I suspect it's no different in Australia, so I aren't convinced this is setting any sort of precedent.
	__________________ O xein', angellein Lakedaimoniois hoti têde keimetha tois keinon rhémasi peithomenoi. A fan of fantasy? Check out Project Dreamforge.

11th December 2008, 06:36 AM	#4
krelnik Graduate Poster Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 1,185	Incidentally, although the current news stories about this are protecting the parents anonymity, this case had been in the news before. The victims name was Gloria Thomas. You can read her case at my site here: http://whatstheharm.net/homeopathy.html#gloria_thomas I'm glad to see the parents are finally facing some consequences for this. There was an earlier court proceeding that was dropped for some reason.
	__________________ What's the harm in a little misinformation? I blog about online skepticism at skeptools.com I post a daily skeptic history fact on Twitter and Facebook

4th December 2008, 08:12 PM	#2
qwints Critical Thinker Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Austin Posts: 497	I doubt that this will create a new precedent. There should already be requirements to provide actual treatment to children. I'm curious about the malnutrition. This case might not deal with the way the child was treated as the failure to feed.