Parents plead guilty in 'faith healing' death
CRESWELL, Ore. -- Two Creswell parents pleaded guilty to negligent homicide charges in the apparent "faith healing" death of their 16-year-old son, Austin Sprout.
Sprout died after his appendix burst in December. Lane County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested Brandi and Russel Bellew (Sprout's mother and step-father) in February after a seven-week investigation into the death.
"The investigation has determined that medical professionals believe that the illness he suffered was treatable if he had been provided medical care," said Capt. Byron Trapp from Lane County Sheriff's Office.
The Bellews are members of the "general assembly and church of the firstborn," a church that believes in healing through faith and prayer rather than seeking medical care.
"That is what the arrests are based on, is the withholding of medical care in this case that allowed Austin to die." Capt. Trapp said.
Last year, the Oregon legislature changed the law regarding faith healing. Now, faith-based healing can no longer be used as a defense against manslaughter charges.
The District Attorney's office worked with church leaders over the past seven months to draft a plan on how to educate the congregation about the law.
Assistant District Attorney Eric Hasselman said that as part of the plea the couple are ordered to follow an in-home safety plan set up by the Department of Human Services to ensure their other children's safety. A probation officer is set to work with the family as well.
"We spelled out certain circumstances under which, if their child was ill or debilitated, they need affirmatively to seek medical care under the situations" Hasselman said.
Hasselman added that in the DA's meetings with the General Assembly and Church of the First Born, congregation leaders said that a person in the church would not be punished or ostracized for providing medical care for their family.
This sad reality of innocent children being killed by faith-healing can be stopped if the sincere Christian believers stop and realize that God gave us reason and not religion. Once they realize this they will follow their God-given reason instead of man-made "revealed"/hearsay religions. The American founder and Deist Thomas Paine was right when he wrote in his important book on God and religion, The Age of Reason, The Complete Edition, that we need a revolution in religion based on our God-given reason and Deism.
Â
Progress! Bob Johnson
www.deism.com
I think that this might just be a fair outcome. The parent's don't have to take their child in for colds, runny noses, or other minor inconveniences. However, if the child has an extremely high fever, a fever for over a week, or other signs that something might be serious, then I think they should KNOW to take the child in for an evaluation.
This is the saddest story ever. I feel, and pray, that these parents did not mean to harm their son. I don't know what the answer to this problem is, however, I do agree that not every illness or injury needs to be treated with a Dr or medicine. I do know that when my child has severe pain, fever, etc. that I take him to the Dr. to figure out what is going on. After I have the info his Dr. and I come up with a plan that is acceptable to us both. I hope this family can heal from this tragedy. God Bless.