Irish Justice Orders Baby Saved Over Objections of Religious Parents

Justice Gerard Hogan of Ireland’s High Court held a novel hearing on December 27th in his own home. Hogan ordered that the government give a lie-saving blood transfusion to a baby boy born in August 2010. His parents are both Jehovah Witnesses and had refused the procedure to save their son.

The boy’s twin sister had already died and, after the transfusion, the boy was saved from succumbing to acute bronchiolitis and a hypoxic (or low oxygenation) period. Hogan noted that the parents appeared “wholesome and upright” but insisted that they would prefer death of the child to transfusions due to their religion.

As I have written before, I believe that these decisions are correct and that prosecutors continue to apply a different standard to religious parents who harm or kill their children in some cases.

Source: IrishTimes

Jonathan Turley