Possibly the saddest story I've ever read...
Okay, maybe not "sad"...just makes me very upset and angry (I saw it at the tail-end of CBS News tonight, then went to their website and found it):
<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/12/19/national/main533634.shtml"; target="_blank">http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/12/19/national/main533634.shtml</a>;
Pay special attention to that fourth paragraph.
Have you ever heard of a parent going that far? Doing that to her own child for a scam?
:eek:
Worst of all, it wasn't simply a lone, deranged parent. Not some weird relative acting on their own. Her mother, father AND grandmother. All three of them. Nobody looked out for this little girl. All the people in her life that she assumed are there for her and are there to watch over and protect her failed miserably.
They could face up to 10 years in jail. The town is upset at them (but supportive of the little girl, as they should be).
Will they have to pay all that money back? Surely they will, right?
I wonder what the little girl must think of it all? Being sedated and all, I wonder if she knew what was going on? What's more, what must have been going through her mind every time the Mom sat down to shave her head?
You need a license to fish, to hunt, to drive a car, fly a plane. You have to pass some sort of test to prove basic proficiency in the above, as well as other things in life before you're allowed to partake in them (medical school, law school, flight school, etc.). But anyone with a functioning pecker or a set of ovaries can bring a kid - an innocent child who has no idea what's going on - and do this to her?
Does that somehow seem very wrong to you? Or at the very least, a tad warped? Really sad.
What do you think should happen to the parents? Is 10 years too relaxed and lenient?
I've gotten tons of e-mails (spam) over the years with this sort of angle ("SICK LITTLE GIRL NEEDS YOUR HELP...PLEASE SEND $$$ AND PRAYERS!!!" and stuff like that). Hopefully this story will put those things to rest once and for all?
For some reason, this is the oddest, most cold and calculating case of fraud I've ever heard of. It hits rock bottom on ALL aspects (faking cancer, drugging the kid to help "sell the act", shaving her hair, doing all this through your daughter, the greed, the heartless, cruel nature of it, etc.).
<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/12/19/national/main533634.shtml"; target="_blank">http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/12/19/national/main533634.shtml</a>;
Pay special attention to that fourth paragraph.
Have you ever heard of a parent going that far? Doing that to her own child for a scam?
:eek:
Worst of all, it wasn't simply a lone, deranged parent. Not some weird relative acting on their own. Her mother, father AND grandmother. All three of them. Nobody looked out for this little girl. All the people in her life that she assumed are there for her and are there to watch over and protect her failed miserably.
They could face up to 10 years in jail. The town is upset at them (but supportive of the little girl, as they should be).
Will they have to pay all that money back? Surely they will, right?
I wonder what the little girl must think of it all? Being sedated and all, I wonder if she knew what was going on? What's more, what must have been going through her mind every time the Mom sat down to shave her head?
You need a license to fish, to hunt, to drive a car, fly a plane. You have to pass some sort of test to prove basic proficiency in the above, as well as other things in life before you're allowed to partake in them (medical school, law school, flight school, etc.). But anyone with a functioning pecker or a set of ovaries can bring a kid - an innocent child who has no idea what's going on - and do this to her?
Does that somehow seem very wrong to you? Or at the very least, a tad warped? Really sad.
What do you think should happen to the parents? Is 10 years too relaxed and lenient?
I've gotten tons of e-mails (spam) over the years with this sort of angle ("SICK LITTLE GIRL NEEDS YOUR HELP...PLEASE SEND $$$ AND PRAYERS!!!" and stuff like that). Hopefully this story will put those things to rest once and for all?
For some reason, this is the oddest, most cold and calculating case of fraud I've ever heard of. It hits rock bottom on ALL aspects (faking cancer, drugging the kid to help "sell the act", shaving her hair, doing all this through your daughter, the greed, the heartless, cruel nature of it, etc.).
Comments
Between the nonsense above, that mom who drowned her kids in the tub, getting shot by some revenge-seeking spaz in a black trenchcoat during chemistry class, neighbors sneaking in to abduct you while your parents conduct a booze and pot-fueled orgy in the garage, etc., being a kid isn't all its cracked up to be lately, is it?
Ugh.
<img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
And Jon Benet Ramsey's "killer" is STILL not in jail...
How many years is THAT going to drag on, exactly?
I'd get Andy Sipowicz to beat a confession out of one or both of those parents because it's obvious to the entire universe they're not being totally forthcoming and cooperative.
*shakes head*
Oh man that is ****ing torture. It's just evil.
I was helping on a TBI treatment this week. The kid is the same age as the kid above. The kid and his mother were very touching to watch together. The exact opposite of the above. Fortunately these people in Urbana are the exception to the norm.
[ 01-15-2003: Message edited by: Scott ]</p>
[ 01-16-2003: Message edited by: Matsu ]</p>
If that's sad then what about 6 years old kids who take the pistol from home and shoot some classmates in school? Telly showed what to do ... or daddy?
<strong>
Have you ever heard of a parent going that far? Doing that to her own child for a scam?
</strong><hr></blockquote>
The worst thing is, if the mother was wealthy and could afford a decent attorney, she'd stand a good chance at getting out of any hard time. She can always use the excuse that she's mentally ill -- she has "Munchausen by proxy" where she creates illnesses for her daughter to get attention for herself. she probaby ISN'T mentally ill, except for being a pyschopath.
I hope they get some jail time.
Pure sickness. With a touch of evil, in many cases I'm sure.
<strong>She can always use the excuse that she's mentally ill -- she has "Munchausen by proxy" where she creates illnesses for her daughter to get attention for herself.</strong><hr></blockquote>That would never be a basis for an insanity defense. It might be an aggravating factor, but not a mitigating factor.
I don't think this is as rare as people think. Some people think that many cases of SIDS are really parents killing their kids, but they can't prove it.
Wow, I hadn't heard that.
Be curious to know how true that may be. Actually, probably best I don't...
<strong>Yeah, I've heard of that phenomenon. There was a story about it on one of those newsmagazine shows a while back and it's AMAZING the lengths some people will go through to keep their kids constantly ill so they (the parents) are seen as some sort of long-suffering "saint" or carriers of these perpetual burdens.
Pure sickness. With a touch of evil, in many cases I'm sure.
Yea that's <a href="http://www.mbpsnetwork.com/"; target="_blank">munchausen by proxy</a>. This case seems a little different in that it looks like nothing more than a scam for money. A pure con. Although I'm sure girl would suffer the same as a munchausen by proxy victim.