MEDIA ADVISORY, Nov. 17 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Justice Foundation calls for the accused Fort Hood Killer, Major Hasan, to be charged with the murder of Pvt. Francheska Velez's in utero baby. Her baby should be included in the victim count and the baby's murderer prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The loss of the baby's life is an additional loss to Mr. Velez, the baby's grandfather, and must be recognized properly.
Image by The U.S. Army via Flickr
Murder Of Child In Utero Can - And Should - Be Prosecuted
U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command has not yet charged Major Hasan for the murder of this child. Major Hasan should clearly be charged with a 14th murder under the federal PROTECTION OF UNBORN CHILDREN ACT in the Code of Military Justice. The ACT provides:
"If the person (in the position of Hasan)...causes bodily injury or death... to, a child, who is in utero at the time the conduct takes place, is guilty of a separate offense under this section and shall, upon conviction, be punished and that punishment... which shall be consistent with the punishments... had that injury or death occurred to the unborn child's mother. Title 18 Sec. 1841 SEC. 3. MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM. Sec. 919a. Art. 119a.
The Justice Foundation's General Counsel, Clayton Trotter, says:
"It is enormously difficult to lose a son or daughter in battle for our Country. The grief and pain never ends. Sadly, Texas has now become a battlefield in this war. Mr. Velez lost a daughter and also his expected grandson, a much loved and expected precious gift from a gracious God, which only compounds the grief that Mr. Velez must be experiencing. My heart goes out to him and all the families of the victims who have recently joined the ranks of Gold Star Families. Your loved ones are heroes, we will not forget them."
Mr. Trotter is a Gold Star Father himself (whose son, Sgt. John Byron Trotter, was killed in Ar Amadi, Iraq. Gold Star Families, Fathers and Mothers are those who have lost family members serving the United States in armed conflicts since WWI.
