For a woman to destroy the fruit of her womb would seem like an ultimate violation of the natural order. Most neonaticides remain undiscovered, but every once in a while a janitor follows a trail of blood to a tiny body in a trash bin, or a woman faints and doctors find the remains of a placenta inside her. Two cases have recently riveted the American public. They will go on trial for murder next year and, if convicted, could be sentenced to death. In September, a grand jury indicted her for murder.
Nothing melts the heart like a helpless baby.
Even a biologist's cold calculations tell us that nurturing an offspring that carries our genes is the whole point of our existence. Neonaticide, many think, could be only a product of pathology. The psychiatrists uncover childhood trauma. The defense lawyers argue temporary psychosis. The pundits blame a throwaway society, permissive sex education and, of course, rock lyrics.