Mom in China avoids jail after killing sick child

Submitted by anthony on Fri, 2008-10-31 17:56

Story here. Excerpt:

'BEIJING - A Chinese mother who admitted poisoning and smothering her mentally ill daughter to death has been spared a jail sentence, state media reported Friday.

Li Daohong fed her 20-year-old daughter, who suffered from brain paralysis, more than 200 sleeping pills in a Beijing hotel before smothering her with towels and a quilt while she was asleep, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

The case was a rare public look at the difficulties of caring for the mentally ill in China, a subject that remains taboo in much of the country.
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"The court is convinced of the fact that the defendant has spent great energy and money on the victim, and the mounting psychological burden proved unbearable for her," the judge said, according to Xinhua.'

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'BEIJING - A Chinese father who admitted poisoning and smothering his mentally ill daughter to death has been sentenced to 30 years in a labor camp, state media reported Friday.

Huan Daohong fed his 20-year-old daughter, who suffered from brain paralysis, more than 200 sleeping pills in a Beijing hotel before smothering her with towels and a quilt while she was asleep, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

The case sparked outrage in this conservative country of 1+ billion people who value the adherence to law and tradition above all else when evaluating the behavior of parents toward their disabled children. While the public display of mentally ill relatives is a source of shame in this nation, nonetheless the duty to care for and attend their needs still rests inexorably on the family. Euthanasia is strictly prohibited.
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"The court is convinced of the fact that the defendant willfully committed an act of murder, and while it acknowledges the special challenges Mr. Daohong faced, cannot and will not excuse, or allow the sending of any message of tacit approval to any degree, for his actions. In this light, we feel the sentence is fair and to some degree, a bit lenient." the judge said, according to Xinhua.'

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Submitted by Matt on Fri, 2008-10-31 19:51

It would be interesting to see what jail statistics would look like if just the sentences were the same, I'd say there would be an increase of women in prison of at least double what the rate is now, mostly likely much more.

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Submitted by Michael on Fri, 2008-10-31 20:32