PORTLAND, Ore., March 8 (UPI) -- An Oregon couple was sentenced to 16 months in prison in the death of their son, for whom they prayed in lieu of medical treatment, authorities said.
Jeffrey and Marci Beagley were found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the death of their 16-year-old son, Neil, who died in June 2008 from complications resulting from a urinary tract obstruction, The (Portland) Oregonian reported Monday.
The Beagleys, who are members of the Followers of Christ Church, did not seek medical care, opting for prayer and the laying on of hands.
Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Steven Maurer said during sentencing the parents' decision not to get medical care for their son was a "crime that was a product of an unwillingness to respect the boundaries of freedom of expression."
"It is up to us as a community and a criminal justice system, and government, to take very seriously that societal obligation … and recognize that investment and interest we have in each and every child," he said.
Defense attorneys argued for probation in lieu of prison, noting neither defendant had a criminal record.
"Prison would be more destructive than productive," said defense attorney Steve Lindsey, who represents Marci Beagley.
Prosecutor Greg Horner urged the court to send a message about the seriousness of the crime.
"That lifetime of loving was erased by the days and weeks and months in the failure to provide the very basics of what a parent is required to do," he said.
