Once again, only the guy gets screwed.....

[Brent]

What the boyfriend did was disgusting and reprehensible, and he SHOULD be charged with a crime. But why not the girlfriend? Why isn't she being charged? Note the text in bold below- they BOTH collaborated on this TOGETHER. But only the guy is being charged with anything. Give me a (*$^&*  break!!!!  

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050104/detu007_1.html

Macomb County Prosecutor Announces Charges Authorized in Fetus Death
Tuesday January 4, 9:28 am ET

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Macomb County

Prosecutor Eric Smith authorized criminal charges today against a sixteen-year-old Richmond male accused of terminating his girlfriend's pregnancy with a souvenir baseball bat.

The charge, Intentional conduct against a pregnant individual resulting in miscarriage or stillbirth, is a felony punishable by up to fifteen years imprisonment.

According to Michigan State Police detectives, the youths intentionally caused the death of the fetus by striking the mother's abdomen with the twenty-two inch bat over the course of two weeks. The parents of the youths were apparently unaware of the pregnancy and the decision to abort it.

The actions of the youths first came to light when the female spoke about the series of incidents after the fact at a high school leadership conference in the upper peninsula. The conference's adult facilitator, hearing of the incidents leading to the miscarriage, contacted the State Police.

The report of the county's medical examiner indicates that the fetus was premature and not viable at the time of the miscarriage. The report lists the cause of death as blunt impact of the maternal abdomen.

Prosecutor Smith is relying on law created by the Michigan Legislature in 1999. According to that law, only the person making the intentional conduct against the pregnant individual is criminally liable. The pregnant individual herself, however complicit in the termination, is not.

The male, because of his age and lack of prior contacts with the criminal justice system, will be adjudicated in the juvenile court. If convicted, he would be subject to the jurisdiction of that court until he is twenty-one years old.

The mother, also sixteen years old, will not be charged with a crime.

Prosecutor Smith said the defendant must plead guilty as charged or face trial.

"This crime is shocking and reprehensible," he said. "I will not entertain any plea bargaining on it."

What's "shocking" is that she'll walk away from this like a total innocent, even though she was every bit as "involved" as he was. Maybe even more than the boyfriend was- it was her baby, why wasn't she protecting it?? She AGREED to have him do this multiple times, so why isn't she guilty too? Answer: Because she's the mom.

[catherine]

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (AP) - A Michigan teenager accused of causing his girlfriend's miscarriage is being charged with a felony.  Authorities say a roughly six-month-old male fetus was delivered October Fourth after the 16-year-old mother allowed her boyfriend to hit her repeatedly in the abdomen with a baseball bat over the course of two weeks.  The buried fetus was discovered in November.  Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith says today that the 16-year-old boy from Richmond is being charged with intentional conduct against a pregnant individual resulting in miscarriage or stillbirth.  Under the 19-99 Michigan law that made it a crime, only the person acting against the pregnant woman is criminally liable, while the mother is not.  The charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, but the boy is expected to be prosecuted as a juvenile. If convicted as a juvenile, he would be subject to the jurisdiction of that court until he is 21.    (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

http://www.9and10news.com/News/Story.asp?StoryID=39616

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I don't feel she did get away with it only because she was a mother, it was because of the law spoken of above.  The law makes sense if she was beaten against her will (most likely why it became a law in the first place), but because she did agree I don't see why they can't charge her with criminal mischief, murder, or something else.  I wonder if it has to do with other laws about the baby not being born yet and it's only considered a fetus instead of a baby?  

True, she will have to live with that horrible experience the rest of her life, but murder is murder and she should be held responsible for it in some other way.

[Davy]

It appears sick rhetoric and excuses has been written into law.

I can not fathom how anyone interpretating this law (as stated) can not see the blatant built-in bias and prejudice favoring females by holding them unaccountable for their actions and at the same time perpetuating a dual standard by holding males accountable.


I do feel empathy for this boy's stupidity.  The girl was probably the more sexually aggressive in the first place and secondly the boy was no doubt following the girls instructions to bat her abdomen.  

I suspect this would not even be a case had the girl enlisted one of her girl friends to baton the fetus.  Additionally, I think the boy would be treated more harshly if the fetus was female.

Ok ?

[olanna]

"The girl was probably the more sexually aggressive in the first place and secondly the boy was no doubt following the girls instructions to bat her abdomen.

I suspect this would not even be a case had the girl enlisted one of her girl friends to baton the fetus. Additionally, I think the boy would be treated more harshly if the fetus was female."

WTF?  

[cathy]

And what in the article leads you to believe the girl was probably more sexually agressive in the first place or that the boy was following her instructions??!?!?!?!?!

Talk about your built-in bias and prejudice!  

I feel sad for both these kids.  At 16, they were not mature enough to handle the situation and made some reallllly stupid chooses that will effect the rest of their lives.  It is a sad situation all around.

But - if a crime was committed, he sounds like it was committed by both of these kids.  They were both willing participants.

[catherine]

WTF, I hear ya!???!!??  That one is pretty out in left field.  Hope he has no daughters!

My point was the law ...is being charged with intentional conduct against a pregnant individual resulting in miscarriage or stillbirth. Under the 19-99 Michigan law that made it a crime, only the person acting against the pregnant woman is criminally liable, while the mother is not.

And as I stated, most likely that law was created for pregnant women who were UNwillingly beaten and the baby died.  I don't think it's "protecting women's rights", it's protecting a BABY's rights to live.  And I think the mother in this case should be charged with the same thing, for the record.

What about the woman who recently cut the baby out of a woman's belly? http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/263217p-225301c.html She is being charged and will most likely get death or life in jail.  Her husband, who obviously knew she wasn't pregnant OR gave birth, went along with it and he isn't being charged with anything, last I heard.

[Davy]

Hello !!

I wasn't trying to start anything or offend anyone ...just espousing the TRUTH based on observations from life experiences.

Everything I posted was practical reality and if you want to honestly and adequately enable yourselves to counsel your sons and daughters you may want to "take it to heart" and adjust your mindset.  

Let's have some legitimate responses and opinions rather than attacks !

BTW, I was a 16 yr old boy at one time and I don't think any of you had that experience.

[Bolivar]

From my very, very, very limited understand of the law let me say the law was written so that when a pregnant woman was beaten and the child aborted, the assailant could be charged with murder.

In this case it sounds like the mother ASKED to be beaten so that the baby would abort.  I would think that would make her part of the crime.  But what do I know.


A very sad event.

[olanna]

nope, no experience being a man...but close to it as one can come..

LOL..

but I raised two boys..and I can tell ya, they are hornier than anything on earth..still are.  Can't say the same for my daughter...

And by the way...wasn't attacking you...just can't grasp where the hell the assumptions came from.

[cathy]

I wouldn't say you were attacked so much as asked where in the world you came up with that stuff about the girl being more sexually aggressive.  Seemed to be out of left field and pretty sexist.  So what exactly lead you to believe the female in the article was more sexually aggressive??

If that it the TRUTH based on your observations, than we haven't been observing the same things.  I have observed teens, both male and female, that are all different and unique.  So far as sexually aggressive - I've seen it in both sexes.  

And no, I was never a 16 yr old boy.  So are you saying that when you were a 16 yr old boy, the 16 yr old females were sexually aggressive to you?

I was a 16 yr old girl - and I can assure you, the guys I were around were a helluva lot more sexually aggressive than I was - or my female friends.  Of course there were exceptions........

But regardless, I certainly wouldn't make the claim that any particular individual was more sexually aggressive based strictly on their gender.

Oh - and the 2 teenage girls in my house.  I am very open and honest with them about sex and fully expect them to come to me when they are ready to have sex to make sure they are prepared.  I have even told them I do not expect them to be virgins when they get married, and that I don't even think it is a good idea........but that's a whole 'nother topic!