Response to Kayla:
Parents and caregivers who intentionally make children sick pursuing their specific goals definitely deserve punishment by the law, but it is a serious question what form this punishment should have. I share the opinion of Kayla and suggest their sending to a mental hospital for the major part of their lives. Furthermore, I want to add that the mental hospital should be closed, and any contacts with the outer world should be controlled. The closed mental hospital could be the severer punishment than prison, as it is almost for life, not just for several years. It is often hard to estimate that the perpetrators are mentally ill before they pull a crime, and it might be hard to estimate if the treatment helps them or not. Despite the seeming innocuousness of the person with Munchausen Syndrome with Proxy label, he or she is really able to harm innocent children who often are his or her own, and it can be perpetual. The perpetrators should be deprived of any contacts with any children forever.
Response to Beverly:
Munchausen Syndrome with Proxy label can seem unbelievable for most people. Indeed, who is intentionally able to harm a child, especially when the child is own? However, there are a lot of cases regarding the manifestations of Munchausen Syndrome with Proxy, and the one described by Beverly is by far not a solitary one. For instance, in 2011, Blanca Montano was arrested for the intentional poisoning of her children in order to attract more attention to herself. Arizona’s Superior Court sentenced her to 13 years (Grijalva). At the moment, she is still in prison, but what would happen when she walks free? People who are able to perform such acts towards children are insane and should be placed in psycho wards. Even despite the fact that according to the Texas Penal Code 22.04, any offenses against children are considered to be crimes that require imprisoning, the cases should be specified, and if any suspicions in Munchausen Syndrome with Proxy label occur, the perpetrator should be immediately sent to the mental hospital for the most part of his or her life.
Works Cited
Grijalva, Barbara. “Mother Accused of Intentionally Hurting Her Baby Sentenced to 13 Years.” Tucson News Now. Tucson News Now, n. d. Web. Accessed 30 Jun 2016.
