Grandpa from Cruise ship tragedy charged

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I suspect the grandfather didn't do himself any favors with the way he and the rest of the family were so fierce in blaming everyone but him. It's one thing when someone causes a death through their negligence and shows true remorse and takes responsibility for their actions, because then there's at least some reason to believe they get what they did wrong and won't do something similar again. But when someone causes another person's death through their own sheer carelessness and then wants to blame everyone else rather than acknowledge his own role in what happened, well, that's exactly the case you want to prosecute to make sure the person doesn't do something similar again.

Good points. As best as I can figure he was distracted and excited to be on the ship, probably looking around at the amenities and when his granddaughter pointed to the window he picked her up w/o looking where he was setting her?

I was truly amazed at how the family, including both parents, were very quick to defend Grandpa and blame the cruise ship. It does sound as though he adored that little child. I'm not seeing any motive at all for him to harm her. I think that the lawyer who swooped in quickly to represent them had something to do with the lawsuit that the family brought against the cruise line, they needed some nameless, faceless thing to blame for this tragedy.

Negligent manslaughter doesn’t involve motive, it’s basically killing someone through your own carelessness. If there were intent to harm, he’d be charged with something more severe.

[Anonymous]

He should be treated the same as parents who leave their children in car seats to die or who otherwise cause their children's deaths. I'm not going to argue one way or the other, but we have to be consistent with handling caretakers who cause children's deaths. Either we exonerate all of them or hold all of them accountable.

In this case, however, there is one additional fact, that the family is filing a lawsuit against the cruise company. Their insistence of the innocence of the person responsible, e.g. the grandfather who was careless, blaming the cruise ship for his negligence in checking whether there was any form of protection before putting his grandchild up there is telling. He not only shows no remorse, and the family's insistence that the cruise line is to blame, show that he does not accept his responsibility in causing the death of his grandchild and seeks to blame someone else. And the fact that they are not only accepting his responsibility but trying to profit from this is sickening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He should be treated the same as parents who leave their children in car seats to die or who otherwise cause their children's deaths. I'm not going to argue one way or the other, but we have to be consistent with handling caretakers who cause children's deaths. Either we exonerate all of them or hold all of them accountable.

In this case, however, there is one additional fact, that the family is filing a lawsuit against the cruise company. Their insistence of the innocence of the person responsible, e.g. the grandfather who was careless, blaming the cruise ship for his negligence in checking whether there was any form of protection before putting his grandchild up there is telling. He not only shows no remorse, and the family's insistence that the cruise line is to blame, show that he does not accept his responsibility in causing the death of his grandchild and seeks to blame someone else. And the fact that they are not only accepting his responsibility but trying to profit from this is sickening.

Two very different things. Those parents were neglectful. He should have checked but it was not a spot you'd think would be open.

[Anonymous]

I think everyone involved sounds like an idiot. Why would you leave the window open in a playroom/childcare facility, especially one that's 11 stories up? But also, why would you put a child on a windowsill because she loves banging on windows. Wtaf? Even if the window was shut, that's an accident waiting to happen!

[Anonymous]

This was discussed at great length in a previous thread but it was not a playroom for children. It was a general area that people were hanging out in while others were boarding the ship. Some windows opened, some were closed. The window was also above waist height so no child would be able to reach it. Many people who had been on that ship posted.

I do not see what charging the grandfather accomplishes. I generally don’t think parents should be prosecuted for mistakes. I distinguish that from instances here a parent intentionally leaves a kid in the car to go to a bar or meet a boyfriend or something like that.

[Anonymous]

Negligent homicide is the killing of another person through gross negligence or without malice. ... Negligent homicide may be charged as a lesser-included offense of manslaughter. It is also sometimes referred to as "involuntary manslaughter". State laws vary, so local law should be consulted for specific requirements.
Definition

[Anonymous]

What is the sentence for negligent homicide?
A felony conviction carries a 1- to 15-year prison sentence. Overall, the punishment for negligent homicide in most states ranges from probation to 8 years' incarceration.Mar 19, 2019

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was an accident. He should not be charged.

No it wasn’t. It’s called gross negligence, simple. Unfortunately no one in the US is held accountable these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think everyone involved sounds like an idiot. Why would you leave the window open in a playroom/childcare facility, especially one that's 11 stories up? But also, why would you put a child on a windowsill because she loves banging on windows. Wtaf? Even if the window was shut, that's an accident waiting to happen!

It wasn’t a playroom/childcare facility. The family’s lawyer keeping calling it a kids play area, but it simply wasn’t. By his reasoning, the whole ship would be considered one big play area, so none of it should be exposed to open air anywhere.

[Anonymous]

You’d need to be pretty impaired to not realize that window was open. The attorney said alcohol wasn’t involved, but didn’t say anything about drugs. Opioid addict?

[Anonymous]

I knewwwww he was culpable!!! GOOD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This was discussed at great length in a previous thread but it was not a playroom for children. It was a general area that people were hanging out in while others were boarding the ship. Some windows opened, some were closed. The window was also above waist height so no child would be able to reach it. Many people who had been on that ship posted.

I do not see what charging the grandfather accomplishes. I generally don’t think parents should be prosecuted for mistakes. I distinguish that from instances here a parent intentionally leaves a kid in the car to go to a bar or meet a boyfriend or something like that.

It keeps that stupid family for putting the blame on the cruise company instead of the grandfather. If that had been the nanny who dropped the kid over the side a year ago, s/he would have been in cuffs the day of!

The Wiegand family said they plan to take legal action against the cruise line for its negligence.

“I think that they have to be,” Kimberly said. “This cannot happen to another family.”

And it wasn't a mistake. It was willful negligence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m glad he was charged because of the lawsuit the family filed.

And likely that’s why they had to file charges. Had they not sued the cruise ship company LE likely wouldn’t have resorted to charging him to prove he was responsible.

[Anonymous]

Warning: Windows, like other windows, can be opened and closed, like any other window in the world.

[Anonymous]

This was just a sad situation - - for ALL involved. ;(

I imagine the Grandfather feels like this is all his fault & will carry all of this w/him forever.
I think the Grandfather simply made a mistake.
I bet he wishes more than anything that he could bring this baby back.

I feel it is wrong to charge him in the child’s death.