Ron wanted to tell me a story. He said he figured that despite his nerdy statistic analyses, I probably would still like the story.   It turned out to be another miserable story.
There was a woman in England who had a baby that died from crib death( SIDS). Then she had a second baby and unfortunately the baby also died of the same cause. The police investigated the two infants deaths and decided that the woman must have murdered her babies since the incidence of crib death is so low that it should be impossible to happen in one family consecutively.  They arrested her and put her in prison for three years until she was released after they admitted they made a mistake.  She never recovered from the conviction and the imprisonment.  The woman died from alcohol intoxication shortly after she left the prison.Â
“This trial and the conviction were based on erroneous statistical evidence…..” Ron was talking excitely… he does that when he is in a nerdy mood and talking nerdy stuff and I usually ignore him. My heart was hurting, after hearing the story.   No matter what evidence leading to her conviction, there is something seriously wrong. No matter who judged her guilty, he/she was never a mother. The last thing a mother would do is hurt her baby.  If she ever does that intentionally, the place she should be put into is manic hospital instead of prison. Â
This woman lost her first child was already a tragedy. I would assume she probably blamed herself a lot for the loss of her baby. It was already a miracle that she was able to have a second baby.   But life was so cruel to her. Mishaps kept happening to her. She must have collapsed after the second baby’s death. But no, it was not enough, there was a stupid moron doctor could not wait to see her dead.
I am so angered by this trial and keep thinking about the story these days. I know courts and judges are ruthless, but please be gentle to mothers, because they are vulnerable!