Couple To Be Sentenced In Death of Infant Denied Antibiotics In Favor of Prayer

The Associated Press reported Sunday on the upcoming August 12 sentencing of Indiana parents who insisted on praying for their seriously ill newborn instead of seeking medical assistance for her. The child died less than two days after she was born from an infection that was treatable with antibiotics. The parents, Dewayne and Maleta Schmidt were convicted in May of reckless homicide. They could be sentenced to up to 8 years in prison; however they are asking for probation and monitoring by a child welfare agency so they will not be separated from their two other children. The couple who belong to the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn at Morgantown say they would do the same thing again, even though their church does not totally prohibit medical treatment. It merely encourages prayer and faith healing.