PARENTS CHARGED IN DEATH OF DAUGHTER
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 -- 11:13 AM
The parents of a Weston girl who died Easter Sunday from treatable complications of diabetes are charged with second-degree reckless homicide.Dale and Leilani Neumann will make an initial appearance on the charges Wednesday morning.
They are not in police custody because prosecutors say they have been cooperative and are not considered a flight risk.
At a press conference Monday, District Attorney Jill Falstad said the Neumanns knew their daughter, Kara, 11, was ill.
Her condition got worse in the weeks leading up to her death. By Saturday, she could not walk or eat. By Sunday, she was comatose, Falstad said.
The Neumanns chose faith healing over medicine, thinking their prayers and faith in God could heal the girl.
"In our nation, we have a constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion," Falstad said. "We also give parents leeway in matters of child rearing. However, neither is an absolute."
Prosecutors will have to prove that the parents are guilty of causing the death of another through criminally reckless conduct.
"The failure to seek medical intervention created an unreasonable and substantial risk of death or great bodily harm to Kara and the Neumanns were aware of that risk," Falstad said.
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