Andrea Yates was found innocent by reason of insanity today. This means that instead of going to prison for murdering her five children, she'll be put in a mental hospital until she's no longer a "threat to others or herself." It looks like no one will do jail time for the children's murder.

In a way, it's more galling that their father has gotten off scot-free than their mother. Yes, she did kill them. But their father knew that she was depressed, knew that she'd had postpartum problems after previous babies, still had more babies after it was clear she didn't do well, and still left them home alone with her, all day, all five kids. I realize that she's an adult and he couldn't force her to take her medication if she wouldn't, but he could have done more to keep his children safe. He could have insisted that the older boys went to school so she had fewer kids to deal with, he could have taken a leave from work or get her some help... basically, his inactivity makes him nearly as guilty as her. The big difference is that he was in his "right mind," so what exonerates him?  We don't prosecute perpetrators of neglect in cases like this, but maybe we should.

I don't think this is over, though, because Earthly justice isn't the only type wrong-doers have to fear. Although many people think it's strange not to believe in hell given that I'm at least nominally Christian, I don't believe that people go there. Eternal torment is something that is reserved for the devil's fate alone. People, on the other hand either repent or they just cease to exist after judgement day.

There's got to be some serious reflection and repenting in the future for Mister Yates, or I fear he'll be one of the erased, since his account is surely still pending.