Girl, 10, formally charged with manslaughter in death of Fairfield baby

[Maine-ah]

http://bangordailynews.com/2012/09/19/news/mid-maine/10-year-old-charged-in-connection-with-death-of-fairfield-baby/

SKOWHEGAN, Maine — The Maine attorney general’s office has formally charged a 10-year-old Fairfield girl with manslaughter in the death of a 3-month-old baby this summer.

She appears to be the youngest person ever charged in Maine in connection with the death of another person.

The one-page petition was filed Tuesday in Skowhegan District Court, according to a press release issued Wednesday by the Maine State Police. A petition in juvenile court is equivalent to a complaint used to charge an adult with a crime in District or Superior Court.

Maine State Police spokesman Stephen McCausland said in the release that the girl was charged with one juvenile offense count of reckless or criminally negligent manslaughter.

***********************

earlier articles have mentioned that the 10 year old girl had been diagnosed with attachment disorder, oppositional defiance disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. She should have never been left alone with a baby - it has also been discovered that while watching another baby the 10 year old girl gave that baby her ADD meds, luckily that one survived. I fully blame the girl's mother for leaving her with an infant - and the infant's mother had told her not to leave the baby alone with the 10 year old.

[get the red out]

1. Horrific!

So the destruction of one baby isn't enough? This makes me ill, my niece suffers from attachment disorder and ADHD as a result of her infancy prior to adoption my by Sister and BIL. Kids with problems like that need a great deal of care themselves, there is NO WAY you should just trust what they are going to do at all times, they have problems with controlling their emotions and IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT.

I don't see how any prosecutor could be so heartless, this should be a family court case to see if this poor little girl can be cared for better elsewhere since her parents are obviously not doing their jobs.

I'm disgusted, she is a baby herself and is not well. We not only condem mentally ill adults in this country we feel the need to demonize mentally ill children as well.

[NotThisTime]

2. Maybe the state will step in and get her the full time care she clearly needs

[RedRocco]

4. or maybe they will lock her up until shes 21 and a hardened criminal

[Maine-ah]

3. I absolutely agree!

and love to your Sis and BIL who took on a child with problems like this. Tons of care, love, supervision and medical care are required to help these children - they must be very strong and loving people.

DHS in their report said that the mother is responsible as well - I hope the girl manages to get into the mental health programs that she needs, and the mother is held responsible for leaving the girl with the baby.

[Humphrey2]

5. that is absolutely tragic

so very sad

[revolution breeze]

6. This hits too close to home.

My niece suffers from attachment disorder, ODD and ADHD. When she was seven she acted out, thankfully not against another child, but at school in the school nurse's office. She knocked over two filing cabinets and attacked the nurse before help came to restrain my neice, and then it was two football coaches holding a very small but very angry little girl. It was horrible, I was called to the school because my daughter, her cousin, had gone to the nurses office for her insulin injection and had seen the sheriff come and put her in a straight jacket and take her away (no one had thought to call her teacher and tell her to wait until the situation was clear, heck, no one was thinking at that moment). Me niece ended up spending time in mental facilites until she was 14 and was then placed in the foster care system. She is still dealing with issues 9 years later.

I hpe this little girl gets the help she needs.