It does protect a couple that denies medical treatment for a child in favor of prayer if the child dies as a result. We discussed similar cases earlier in 2305 when we covered the religious freedoms established in the Bill of Rights
. Here's an example
:
A couple serving probation for the 2009 death of their toddler after
they turned to prayer instead of a doctor could face new charges now
that another son has died.
Herbert and Catherine Schaible belong to a fundamentalist Christian
church that believes in faith healing. They lost their 8-month-old son,
Brandon, last week after he suffered from diarrhea and breathing
problems for at least a week, and stopped eating. Four years ago,
another son died from bacterial pneumonia
. . . A jury convicted the Schaibles of involuntary manslaughter in the
January 2009 death of their 2-year-old son, Kent. The boy's symptoms had
included coughing, congestion, crankiness and a loss of appetite. His
parents said he was eating and drinking until the last day, and they had
thought he was getting better.
The Schaibles were sentenced to 10 years' probation.
At a hearing Monday, a judge told the couple they had violated the
terms of their probation, noting the Schaibles had told investigators
that they prayed to God to make Brandon well instead of seeking medical
attention.
"You did that once, and the consequences were tragic," Philadelphia
Common Pleas Judge Benjamin Lerner said, according to the Philadelphia
Daily News.
