Yup, convicted "baby killer" dad DAVID SCOTT ARNEY got just a minimum five-year sentence for the beating death of his five-month-old daughter. Somehow he managed to get his murder charge reduced to manslaughter, despite no signs of remorse or personal responsibility for his actions. Despite being a self-professed "devout Christian," it seems poor Daddy just couldn't help himself. He just had these "fits of passion" when "his anger burst from him," don't you know. Self-serving crap from killers is common enough. But then you hear the judge repeating all this stuff, how poor Daddy had a rough childhood and all. In other words: He was depraved on account of being deprived (apologies to Stephen Sondheim here).
This garbage never flies with abusive mothers. Mothers who kill their children--or even those mothers who fail to stop some big strong man from killing their children--are unnatural monsters fit to be burned at the stake. Nobody ever indulges them as being depraved because they were deprived.http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/baby-killer-sentence-outrage/story-e6frf7kx-1111112594024
Baby killer sentence outrage
Katie Lapthorne From: Herald Sun November 28, 2006
A MINIMUM five-year jail sentence for a father who committed monstrous assaults that killed his baby daughter has been slammed by child welfare groups.
David Scott Arney, 25, repeatedly punched five-month-old Rachael Joy in what he described as "fits of passion".
An autopsy revealed the shocking extent of Rachael Joy's injuries.
She died from a perforated small intestine – but also suffered a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain, four fractured ribs, a haemorrhaged liver and bruises on her head, face, chest and neck.
Arney, a devout Christian, told police he punched her whenever his anger burst from him.
He admitted it had happened as many as 10 times.
Justice Bernard Teague said Arney committed monstrous crimes that deserved stern punishment.
"How you treated your daughter was abhorrent." Justice Teague said.
"Your violence towards her was both severe and persistent."
Justice Teague said young children were vulnerable and those who committed violence against them must be dealt with severely.
He said Arney had failed to recognise the inappropriate way he dealt with his anger due to issues stemming from his childhood.
"Many of the problems that stressed you last year can be traced to problems which arose in your early years at school," he said.
"You were bullied. You retreated into your own world. You chose not to seek help from others.
"The early school experiences left you fragile and vulnerable to stress."
A murder charge against Arney was dropped when he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and recklessly causing serious injury.
Arney, of Heidelberg West, was jailed for nine years with a minimum of five years. His family and wife Laurita continue to stand by him.
Australian Childhood Foundation CEO Joe Tucci said the sentence was grossly inadequate.
"That sentence doesn't really reflect the severity of the pain and torture that that little girl faced," Mr Tucci said.
"To only get five to nine years just doesn't reflect what I think is community expectations around the killing of a child."
Mr Tucci said the case highlighted the need to remove plea bargaining from child homicide cases.
The Supreme Court heard Rachael Joy became ill on December 14 last year, crying, vomiting and gasping for breath.
Despite being encouraged to seek medical help, Arney and his wife gave their daughter painkillers and went to bed.
Rachael Joy was dead by the morning.
The court heard Arney resented the intrusion she caused and the attention she demanded.