Son Who ‘Mercy’-Killed Parents Released

BBC, May 16 — Daniel Gardner, 53, admitted to killing his parents, Stanley, 79, and Eileen, 83, at their London home in March 2002. Daniel had spent many years caring for the older couple at home; Eileen Gardner suffered from advanced Alzheimer's disease, while her husband was terminally ill, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported.

Daniel Gardner himself has diabetes, which forces him to walk on crutches. Apparently, as he admitted in court, he hit a breaking point March 4 — that day he put plastic bags over his parents' heads so they would suffocate and then he tried to kill himself.

Having pleaded guilty to manslaughter, Gardner was sentenced to two years of rehabilitation and community work. The judge noted in his sentence the defendant had been suffering “from a serious depressive illness which put you under huge emotional strain,” and he was not a danger to the public.

Local euthanasia groups called for streamlined, state-administered mercy killings for such patients as the Gardners, while Phyllis Bowman of the group Right to Life commented, “One needs to ask why his parents were not admitted to proper hospice or hospital care.”

Baby Auctioned Off for Parts

THE AGE (Australia), May 19 — A female gang in the Southern Italian city of Bari has been charged with auctioning off a newborn child, taking bids even before the baby was born, possibly from people interested in using its organs for transplant.

The Age reported that three Ukrainian immigrants, including the baby's mother, a prostitute, sold the child for $623,000 to undercover police who'd been trying to crack a drug ring. The officers were shocked when the gang members offered them an unborn baby.

“There's a five-month parcel waiting for you if you're interested,” they said, then kept the officers posted about other bids on the child's life that they had to beat.

On May 9 the baby was born and given to the officers, and the parents were arrested. Police are now investigating the other “bidders,” even as shocked Italian legislators call for new laws to prevent organ trafficking.

Priests Take Sacraments to SARS Victims

FIDES, May 16 — At least 45 priests in Hong Kong have put themselves forward, volunteering for exposure to the deadly SARS virus in order to bring the sacrament of anointing the sick to patients, reported Fides, the Vatican missionary news agency.

The local diocese had called for volunteers and the priests responded. Five priests have been chosen to remain in SARS hospitals and the other 40 to visit Catholic families in quarantine.

The priests have been given a special course in precautions to take when carrying out their ministry among the sick.

“The sacrament of [annointing] the sick gives strength, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties of those who are seriously ill and the fragility of old age,” volunteer priest Father Joseph Vhan said, “and it helps to overcome the temptation to discouragement and despair when facing death.”