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State-Funded Agency to Probe Claim of Spousal Abuse in Terri Schiavo Case

Bone scan and injuries indicate severe trauma and strangulation

TAMPA BAY, October 27, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Florida State Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, has decided to launch an investigation into the spousal abuse claims of the parents of Terri Schiavo. The severely disabled Florida woman whose life was spared by an executive order by Governor Jeb Bush to halt her court-ordered starvation, has, according to experts, sustained injuries consistent with abuse.

Michael Schiavo, Terri's estranged husband, who has been in a long-fought court battle with Terri's parents to end her life, fuelled suspicions of abuse when he sought and was granted a court order that Terri's remains would be cremated immediately following her death. Terri's parents, the Schindlers, were requesting an autopsy.

Other factors pointing to abuse include:

- Testimony of nurses who looked after Terri indicated that Michael was verbally abusive to Terri and may have attempted to kill her by insulin injection and attempts to induce pneumonia by turning the thermostat in her room to 64 degrees.

- Michael Baden, one of the most acclaimed forensic experts in North America, in an interview on Fox News National Television broadcast Saturday said Terri's bone scan indicates that Terri's injuries are not consistent with the suggested explanation of a heart attack or potassium imbalance. He said they are consistent with severe trauma possibly caused by a beating and would warrant an immediate investigation.

- Dr. William Hammesfahr, Nobel prize nominee and neurologist, testified that Terri's neck injuries are consistent with only one type of injury: that of strangulation.

Commenting on the case, Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition said, "It would come as no surprise to me that she had been abused previous to her disability, knowing that since1993 she has received continuous abuse by being denied basic medical care, visitation of loved ones, religious visits, and any form of rehabilitation."

Schadenberg warned however that the practice of euthanasia by withdrawal of nutrition and hydration from people who are not otherwise dying is common both in the United States and Canada. He pointed out that the argumentation around the case is not addressing the central point that nutrition and hydration should not be considered medical treatment. He noted that a 1990 U.S. Supreme Court decision wrongly allowed nutrition and hydration to be considered medical treatment.

In response to the six-day denial of food and fluids to Terri Schindler-Schiavo, the National Right to Life Committee is calling on state legislatures throughout the nation to move to protect people with disabilities from being denied food and fluids. The organization has issued a "Model Starvation and Dehydration of Persons with Disabilities Prevention Act."

See the NRLC model legislation for States:
http://www.nrlc.org/euthanasia/modelstatelaw.html

See the Chicago Tribune coverage and the Fox interview:
http://www.terrisfight.org/chitrib.html
http://www.terrisfight.org/baden.html

Terri's supporters have also asked pro-lifers to encourage AARP to intervene to save Terri's life and not against it:

See also
Media 'getting it wrong' on Terri Schiavo story
Press erroneously report she's 'comatose,' doctors also dispute vegetative-state ruling

** People who are aware of the truth are calling in to radio and television stations insisting that they correct the misinformation. For example, Toronto News radio station 680 was reporting last week that Shiavo was in a persistive vegetative state. LifeSite called to say that that was not correct. The news room immediately acknowledged the error and corrected it. This would not have happened had no one called.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35270

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