Although this young woman made an error in judgment by leaving her baby at the church, her intentions were right, and it highlights a problem in the law. She couldn't deal with the guilt of killing her child legally and she panicked. "I knew that if I were to leave it at the church, it would be taken care of, you know, put into an adoption agency and getting her a family that really wanted it and (could) give it a great life," she told police. "I cannot take care of a baby and I can't deal with it. I don't have a job. I'm not financially ready." The woman put a lot of effort into walking to the church and finding what she thought was a safe place for the baby.
The woman acted responsibly by calling the police the next day and turning herself in to authorities. She read in the local paper a news release from police detectives saying they "are concerned for the health and safety of the mother and are eager to identify her to ensure that she receives appropriate care." In reality, it was a trick.
Unfortunately, charging this young woman sends the wrong message. It will cause other mothers to abort their babies. Worse yet, they may put them in the trash where no one will find them. Obviously, this mother thought that leaving her child at a church was within the parameters of the safe-haven law.
She needs help, not punishment. She has already gone through enough. Prosecuting her is neither helpful nor warranted. Sure, prosecutors can make her a criminal, but her baby can live a normal, long life. Aborted children have no such opportunity.
The government is trying to make an example out of her and the message the prosecutor is sending out to women is loud and clear: It is better to abort your baby than face prosecution. |