Can you post the story text itself? I don't want to register to read it.
Erika
Erika,
I didn't have to register to read it. Hmmm - is it asking you to register? I can't remember where I first saw the story - CNN or FoxNews? I don't want to paste the complete text b/c it's lengthy but basically a mother found out that a "friend" who babysat her daughter (who has cystic fibrosis and is in a wheelchair) was molesting her. When she found out, the person paid her almost $10,000 to keep quiet, so she lied to the cops. It went to trial anyway and she was given over five years in prison. During sentencing, the judge mentioned a number of past incidents in which the mother "did not have the best interest of her children in mind" (can't remember the exact wording) and the article reported several issues, including a charge almost ten years ago of driving with an unrestrained child (in addition to a recent DUI accident in which she was drinking/driving and both of her children suffered broken bones in the accident). It's not clear if any of the previous charges/convictions affected the length of the sentence but it was clear that the judge felt that she showed a pattern of not caring for/about her children...
Ths reason I posted it here is b/c it mentioned the "unrestrained child" charge. Many of us often talk about calling the police when we see an unrestrained child but get discouraged when some authorities don't take it seriously or when nothing really happens. So seeing this mentioned in this article inspired me to start reporting unrestrained children again instead of thinking that it doesn't matter - b/c maybe it will matter, whether from saving a child from injury/death in an accident or helping to establish a pattern of irresponsible/neglectful parenting down the road.
I agree with Amber - it's sick. And that poor little girl, whose mother is supposed to love and protect her but instead let something like this continue and lied to authorities.
