Publicly, few villagers disagree. We have our religion which should be respected. Also if they are separated so Jodie survives then she will be disabled and there are no facilities here. The more time elapses before separation the more likely it is that Jodie will be permanently brain damaged. In a written court statement her parents claimed this would make it almost impossible to rear her on the island because the islanders would regard her as punishment for some earlier sin.
Few villagers take that seriously.
A centre for disabled children is due to open and the local hospital is well-equipped and has several paediatricians trained at Great Ormond Street, the London hospital for children. Whatever fate holds for Jodie and Mary, the tragic case has completely changed the nature of discussion in this sleepy sun-baked village. Now we discuss moral dilemmas.