New Zealand: Three women face sentencing for murder in child deaths (Auckland, 2 June 2008) – Three women face sentencing this week after they were found guilty of causing the deaths of four young children. “The death of a child is tragic, but so are the decisions of three women who chose to expose their children to harmful alcohol while pregnant,” said Amnesty International New Zealand Director Antonia Beeson. “These women must be held accountable for their actions.” A jury found Rae Anne Laxley, Sarah-Jane Luff, and Karen Lee Broom, all from Taupo, guilty of the murders of Blythe Jolliffe-Davenport, 16 months old, and four other children from 2009 to 2010. Their cases come before the High Court in Rotorua on 2 June and sentencing will take place at a later date. “These women had every opportunity to make responsible choices about the way they lived their lives and the choices they made about how they behaved while pregnant proved to be deadly,” Beeson said. “They caused the deaths of five children and damaged the lives of many more.” All three women took a cocktail of alcohol and drugs while pregnant. Two of the four children died, including a newborn baby who was born with cocaine and other drugs in its system. The other two babies were taken into care after they were born. “All three women had children who suffered severe brain injuries,” Beeson said. “The evidence at trial was that the women took the drugs together, although there is no suggestion that the three of them ever intended to harm their children.” Laxley was in the first trimester of pregnancy when she and Broom left their three month old baby, Rae Anne, with them while they went out drinking and dancing. Broom then carried the baby around until her daughter died. Laxley and Luff both gave evidence that they believed taking methadone and other drugs while pregnant was normal and responsible behaviour. A third woman, Heather Broom, was convicted of using methadone, benzodiazepines and cannabis while pregnant. “These women were unable to make responsible choices for their children,” Beeson said. “They also broke the law by taking drugs while pregnant and the consequences for themselves and their children have been terrible.” Amnesty International New Zealand condemns the death of Blythe Jolliffe-Davenport and calls on New Zealand to develop and implement a national substance misuse policy and to consider including the needs of children in harm reduction programmes. Amnesty International New Zealand is a national charity that works to protect human rights worldwide through the release of reports, news stories, research, and campaigns. We take a strong human rights approach and conduct fact-finding visits on a range of topics including the death penalty, child rights, trade and investment, freedom of expression and human rights defenders. Our vision for New Zealand is of a just society, in which the right of everyone to human dignity is respected. A safe, peaceful and just world allows people to enjoy life free from fear, free from violence, free from oppression and free from poverty. A world where everyone can lead a life in dignity and fulfilment. I'd also like to hear the women's version of events. The prosecution's theory is that the women deliberately chose to poison these children for personal gain? Of course they didn't, but there are a few things to point out. For example, these women are all recovering alcoholics and drug addicts themselves, and they had been told not to drink/use during their pregnancies because of the known dangers to children. How did they respond? I'll probably buy the book, because I found the trial fascinating, but I don't think anyone should feel comfortable drinking during pregnancy. If they must have a drop, I prefer wine, at least it's low in calories and doesn't make you woozy. "As mothers, they may have made the wrong choices but that does not absolve us from our responsibility to look after our kids," she said. "We shouldn't put a price on our children's health." Good point. I do know that the jury accepted this, but there is a growing number of reports in the media of juries who cannot be swayed by expert testimony on pregnancy and infant mortality, and seem to want to punish the mothers. This whole thing has so turned my stomach in a way it wouldn't have if it were not for the fact that these babies were so so vulnerable. These babies had brains still developing. It was all a matter of time, and it's just heartbreaking. I have no doubt these women loved their children. My heart goes out to their families, especially the other children whose parents are dead. "A baby in its mother's womb is as alive as a baby with its own mother," said Jules Davids, a professor of midwifery at Auckland University of Technology. "I don't understand why there is such outrage that this woman in Taupo will be tried for murdering her baby when clearly she was living in a culture of acceptance of murdering pregnant women." The women, who have been referred to as the South Island "sleeper killers" have been involved in an ongoing drug and alcohol problem, which is why they took drugs while pregnant. Davids said there is an acceptance in New Zealand that children aren't always a priority, and many people do not believe that a child has a right to life. "There are all sorts of laws about protecting babies. But people say 'how will you protect the baby when you're going to send the mother to prison?" What exactly makes their actions more heinous than these other mums who take drugs while pregnant and then do not care about the impact on their babies, or themselves? I feel for the parents of the murdered babies, but I'm still not comfortable with these women getting off so easily. They took a risk, and they all know the consequences of those actions. Of course, it could be that the mothers knew full well what the consequences would be, and it was "just one less child" to them - which is a terrifying thought. I'd love to hear the women's side of the story - and see what they have to say on their trial for manslaughter. You'd have to have to do a heck of a lot of research to see if any women have been prosecuted for doing what they did. I've seen a few books on this case, but only one actually about the women involved - the other was an anthology of short stories. The one we do have about the mothers is written by a journalist from Auckland and focuses on one of the victims - Heather Broom. It's so very, very sad, what these women did, but there are so many children who are abused and neglected in this country because the mothers and families around them can't handle these responsibilities. It's time to stop looking for "justifications" and focus on making our society a better place for our children.