Faith-healing minister charged in death of 2-year-old granddaughter

[Heddi]

http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/03/minister_and_grandfather_of_2-.html

A grandfather who is also a minister is charged with failing to report the death of his granddaughter, whose parents didn't seek medical treatment for her due to their faith.

Rowland George Foster, 71, of the 400 block of North Ninth Street, Lebanon, is charged with failing to report child abuse, a third degree felony, court records say.

Foster, police said, "had reasonable cause to suspect that the victim died due to a failure to obtain adequate medical care."



The Fosters, members of Mechanicsburg-based Faith Tabernacle church, attributed the toddler's death to "God's will," according to charges filed in the case.

The Fosters told police their church does not believe in any medical treatment whatsoever, charging documents state.

As a minister, Foster was a mandated reporter, and is required to report child abuse, police said, which can include failing to provide a child with adequate medical care, police said.


----
Related
http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/02/faith_healing_fosters_faith_ta.html
Faith-healing parents surrender custody of 6 children after toddler's death

Berks County couple charged in the death of their 2-year-old daughter have voluntarily surrendered custody of their six other children to authorities.

Jonathan and Grace Foster were in court Wednesday morning for a bail modification hearing, surrendered custody of their six children to Berks County Children and Youth Services, according to a report by WFMZ-TV in Berks County.

The Fosters were charged earlier this month in the Nov. 8 death of 2-year-old Ella Foster, who died of pneumonia in her father's arms, after her parents failed to get her medical treatment.

The Fosters are member of the non-denomination Faith Tabernacle church, which believes in faith healing and prohibits its members from getting any form of medical care. The church has congregations in Lebanon, Mechanicsburg and Carlisle.

[luvMIdog]

1. I have met these kind of people before so so sad :(

[trotsky]

2. Horrific. And enabled by religious beliefs which no one can disprove. n/t

[MineralMan]

3. It's so sad that religious beliefs can so cloud the mind that parents

allow their child to die based on them. All I can say is that it is a good thing that there are few followers of that particular religious teaching. I hope for the remaining members that good sense and rational thinking leads them to seek a different faith to follow.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

4. +1

Yay freedom!

[Goblinmonger]

5. How do you live with yourself when you so that?