The Kara Neumann case was an incident in which parents of a sick child refused to treat her with anything other than

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified a ...

, resulting in the child's death. The 11-year-old child, Madeline Kara Neumann, of

Weston, Wisconsin Weston is a village in Marathon County, Wisconsin. It is part of the Wausau Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,868 at the time of the 2010 census. History Initially part of the Town of Weston, the village was founded on March ...

, died of undiagnosed

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

on March 23, 2008, after Kara's parents, Leilani and Dale Neumann, prayed for their dying daughter instead of seeking medical help. The parents were Pentecostals who did not belong to an organized religion. They had obtained medical care in the past, but had come to believe that there are spiritual root causes to sickness and that prayer and strong religious beliefs will cure any health problems. They decided not to go to doctors for treatment anymore, out of a belief that they would be "putting the doctor before God", amounting to idolatry and sin.State v. Neumann, 832 N.W.2d 560, 2013 WI 58 (2013)
/ref> The parents were charged with second-degree reckless homicide by the

Marathon County Marathon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,013. Marathon County's seat is Wausau. It was founded in 1850, created from a portion of Portage County. At that time the coun ...

district attorney in separate trials. Dale Neumann was convicted on May 22, 2009, and Leilani was convicted on August 1, 2009. On October 6, 2009, both parents were sentenced to 10 years of probation, with six months jail time to be served over a six-year period. On July 3, 2013, by a 6-to-1 margin the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld the convictions. Kara Neumann's case sparked renewed discussion about

faith healing Faith healing is the practice of prayer and gestures (such as laying on of hands) that are believed by some to elicit divine intervention in spiritual and physical healing, especially the Christian practice. Believers assert that the healing ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

References

2008 in Wisconsin March 2008 crimes in the United States Crimes in Wisconsin Marathon County, Wisconsin {{US-law-stub