Why 15-year-old Jessica Coleman Killed Her Baby

[Luba]

http://www.wkyc.com/video/player.aspx?aid=19477&bw=

She has been sentenced and appeared on Oprah:

http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/...20061103.jhtml

Heartbreaking! What a horrible act by a supposedly smart young girl!

[Vautrin]

It was hearbreaking to see. But I wonder why she felt she needed to hide the pregnancy in the first place?

[Luba]

Originally Posted by Vautrin

It was hearbreaking to see. But I wonder why she felt she needed to hide the pregnancy in the first place?

I watched the whole "Oprah" show and she said she was afraid.

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=1685080&page=1

more on this terribly tragic story

[Star]

I jsut got finished reading the story on the Oprah website. I don't watch Oprah so i didn't have a clue about this story. how heartbreaking. the poor little baby.

I have to wonder how parents wouldn't know their daughter are pregnant. surely there must of been a little weight gain since it's a baby in her belly and not fat. Maybe she didn't have a very close relationship with her parents, one that she didn't think she could open up to any of the two about a problem like this one. Maybe the parents didn't notice because that's the kind of parents they were. Some parents don't know a whole lot about their kids and don't notice the "little things".

What i didn't like about the sentencing was that the boyfriend only got 2 years for his part. His part wasn't only disposing of the baby, it was also hiding the pregnancy, standing on her belly while she was pregnant. I bet that poor little baby was a stillborn baby. the standing on the belly would kill the baby inside i would think.

this is a very sad story. I don't feel bad for the two kids, i feel bad for that little baby. those kids, i'm sure, could've talked to someone about this. if not their parents, someone! The baby didn't ask to be conceived and did not deserve any of this.

This might sound harsh but, when it comes to babies and children being killed or hurt, i feel next to no sympathy for the ones who hurt or killed them. no matter what the circumstance is. this was a living tiny defensless human being. When i read that she stabbed the baby in the chest, my sympathies went out the window. she wanted the baby to die.

[Luba]

Star, great post! I, too, think the boyfriend should have gotten a stiffer sentence, even more than hers. He was older, first of all, and she seemed to be so totally in love with him that she would do ANYTHING (which she did) at all cost to keep him!

If this tragic story teaches teens and parents anything, it's for teens in a similar situation to talk to SOMEONE about it, and for parents to pay closer attention and be in their children's lives!

[Vautrin]

Originally Posted by Star

I don't feel bad for the two kids, i feel bad for that little baby. those kids, i'm sure, could've talked to someone about this. if not their parents, someone!

The question is why they did not talk to anyone. That is the central issue in this case.

If you saw the ABC report, the mother of the baby talked of giving birth as "it fell out of me." I am guessing that these kids had little or no sexual knowledge except for the act itself. Another guess of mine is that they grew up in a community that treats behavior like theirs (in the sex department) extremely harshly. Thus encouraging even more secrecy about all matters sexual.

We would have a) parents to be with little or no knowledge on the whole reproductive issue, and b) people who feel they can go nowhere, because of the way their community operates.

Not everyone acts like you Star. Sadly. I doubt that if you or anyone on these boards would be one of the parents of these two kids, that this would have happened.

[Luba]

Originally Posted by Vautrin

The question is why they did not talk to anyone. That is the central issue in this case.

I saw the entire "Oprah" show and the girl was in COMPLETE denial! She wasn't showing, NO ONE asked her any questions and she proceeded with her life. It was really unbelievable to hear her say that...

When Oprah asked her if she knew about birth control, she said she did but thought it wouldn't happen to her, so they didn't use protection. I think it's the same idea of so many young people thinking they are invincible and have the idea "it can't happen to ME".

[Vautrin]

It is common, that people perceive chances something stupid happening to them to be lower than to others. The lack of questions from people around them is also worrisome.