Andrew Bedner is an American man who was at the center of a bioethical controversy regarding the rights of parents to make medical decisions for children they have allegedly abused.O'Gorman, Josh. Springfield man denies charges in infant assault, The Rutland Herald, August 5, 2008
In August 2008, Bedner, a resident of White River Junction, Vermont, was charged with intentionally injuring his eight-week-old daughter during a beating.Baby girl in assault case dies, Boston Globe August 11, 2008O'Gorman, Josh. Springfield man denies charges in infant assault Rutland Herald, August 5, 2008. The child's injuries proved severe, and Bedner faced a long prison sentence if convicted. However, Bedner did not face murder charges, as his critically ill daughter, referred to as C.B., remained on life support.
The state of New Hampshire, where C.B. was hospitalized, sought to exclude Bedner from decisions regarding whether to remove his daughter from life support. The state cited his inherent conflict of interest in the case in that C.B.'s death might lead to a murder charge for Bedner.Appel, Jacob M. Mixed motives, mixed outcomes when accused parents won’t agree to withdraw care, Journal of Medical Ethics 2009;35:635-637 C.B. eventually died, but the case generated considerable public debate and stimulated a controversy among bioethics scholars.Baby girl in assault case dies, Boston Globe August 11, 2008
Dr. Jacob Appel of Mount Sinai Hospital used the case to launch a drive for revising statutes governing parental decision-making in cases where abuse is alleged. According to Appel, such "dual motives" create a compelling reason for the state to suspend parental decision-making over end-of-life decisions.Appel, Jacob M. Mixed motives, mixed outcomes when accused parents won’t agree to withdraw care, Journal of Medical Ethics 2009;35:635-637 In 2009, leading bioethics scholar Thaddeus Mason Pope profiled the case on his medical futility website.Withdrawal Okay When Surrogate's Refusal to Consent Based on Wrong Reasons , Oct. 25, 2009
See also Child abuse Bioethics
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