November 9, 2005

ANDREA YATES--BACK IN THE SADDLE OF THE LAW



Postpartum Psychosis? I understand how mental illness works, but not enough to understand how a woman could brutally drown all her children, one after the other.

See the bottom for what "Postpartum Psychosis" is.




CNN) -- A Texas court on Wednesday cleared the way for Andrea Yates to be tried a second time for drowning her children in a bathtub.

Many factors must be considered before another trial begins, including whether Yates is mentally competent to stand trial. Harris County District Attorney Charles Rosenthal said he is "disappointed" with the decision, which sets a "frightening precedent."

"The whole issue of mental health, specifically women's mental health, has been championed in this decision." Parnham said a new trial is a mixed blessing, because Yates will have to relive the horror of her children's deaths, but added, "She needs to be found not guilty by reason of insanity."

Yates mounted an insanity defense at her trial on two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Noah, 7, John, 5, and Mary, 6 months. One of the counts covered the two eldest children. She was not tried for the drownings of Luke, 3, and Paul, 2.

Yates is being held in the psychiatric ward of Rusk Penitentiary in Rusk, Texas, Yates was convicted of capital murder in March 2002 and sentenced to life in prison.

She had a well-documented history of postpartum depression and her attorneys argued that she suffered from postpartum psychosis.


Postpartum psychosis: A very serious mental illness that can affect a new mother. The episode of psychosis usually begins within 1 to 3 months of delivery.

A woman with postpartum psychosis may lose touch with reality and have auditory hallucinations (hearing things that are not actually happening, like a person talking) and delusions (perceiving things differently from the way they are). Visual hallucinations (seeing things that are not there) are less common.

Other symptoms may include insomnia, agitation, anger, and irrational guilt about somehow having done something wrong.

Women who have postpartum psychosis need prompt treatment and almost always need medication. If they are at risk for hurting themselves or someone else, women with postpartum psychosis need to be in a hospital.



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

fry the bitch...or better yet have someone 3 times her weight drown her in the bath-tub and then lay her dead body on the bed.