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Court Rejects Selective Prosecution Claim In Faith Healing Death of Young Girl

By Howard M. Friedman

In Oregon City, Oregon, a state trial court judge has rejected a motion by Carl and Raylene Worthington that second-degree manslaughter and criminal mistreatment charges against them be dismissed. Yesterday's Oregon City News reports that the parents are being prosecuted in the death of their 15-month old daughter, Ava, after they failed to seek medical treatment for her because they believe in faith healing. Ava died of bronchial pneumonia and a blood infection. The Worthingtons argued that they were being treated differently because of their Followers of Christ religion, saying that there had been six other cases in the county where children died from apparent negligence, but their parents were not charged. Ruling at a pre-trial hearing, Judge Steven Maurer said that the facts and legal principles in the other cases were vastly different from this one.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on June 16, 2009 (boomark / email).