Pa. Couple Who Believe in Faith Healing to Serve 3 Years in Prison for Death of Infant Son
A Pennsylvania couple who believe in faith healing have been sentenced to prison for their refusal to send their infant son to a doctor when he was sick.
Herbert and Catherine Schaible were sentenced Wednesday by Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Benjamin Lerner to three and a half years in prison.
This was the second child of the Schaibles to die due to an untreated illness. The couple's first son died at age 2, in 2009.
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In court, Judge Lerner emphasized that the death of their children was the responsibility of the Schaibles and no one else.
"You've killed two of your children, not God, not your church, not religious devotion – you," said Lerner, as reported by The Associated Press.
"Both expressed remorse and apologized for violating a court order to seek medical care for their children following the 2009 death of their 2-year-old son for untreated pneumonia," reported AP.
Last May, the Schaibles turned themselves in to authorities after being charged with the murder of their 8-month-old son, Brandon, who died of bacterial pneumonia.
According to investigators, the Schaibles cited their belief in faith healing as the explanation for why they refused to send Brandon to a doctor for treatment.
The Schaibles were longtime members of a small Pentecostal congregation in Philadelphia known as First Century Gospel Church.
First Century Gospel did not return comment to The Christian Post by press time regarding their stance on the matter of reliance on faith healing instead of modern medicine.
The Schaibles have six living children who have been placed in foster care.
