Andrea Yates

Andrea Yates has been found not guilty of the murder of her children by reason of insanity.
The case here
was something I watched at the time with real horror and revulsion. I remember sitting bolt upright in bed listening with horror to Dan Rather recount the death of those poor children, staring open mouthed at the sight of Andrew Yates been led into jail. What kind of mother would do such a thing? I thought at the time. She was a monster, her poor husband, that poor family...those beautiful children and so on.
But over the years my attitude to this case has changed somewhat.And my opinion is Andrea yates received the right verdict.

Andrea Yates had attempted suicide twice, she had severe psychosis (for which she was prescribed more than twice the recommended maximum dosage of Effexor, an anti-depressant/anti-psychotic). She suffered from very severe post partum depression after each pregnancy, so severe in fact that her psychiatrist, Dr. Eileen Starbranch, testified that she urged the couple not to have more children, to prevent future psychotic depression. Unfortuntely the procreative plan taught by the Yates' spiritual mentor, Michael Peter Woroniecki, a doctrine to which Rusty Yates, Andrea's husband, subscribed, insisted she should continue to have "as many children as nature allows"

It has also come to light that Rusty Yates was vehemently against his wife having any form of support from ether her own mother or family during the time she was struggling to raise her children-who were home schooled. He felt she would have to learn to cope and not shirk her maternal duties.
Andrea did not 'learn to cope' she drowned her children one day shortly after her husband left for work, covered their bodies in a sheet and phoned the emergency services.
You would have to ask the questions: why was this disturbed woman with a serious mental condition left to struggle alone? Where were her family and friends? Why did they not insist on treatment, on providing support? Why did her husband ignore medical advice?
It is no use finger pointing now, but mayby there are lessons to be learned here. Post Partum Depression-despite what Tom Cruise thinks- is a very real and very serious condition and one that should be closely studied and recognised.
The world does not need another tragedy like this one.