Unborn Victims of Violence Act

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This is not such a current event, but this event did get me more focused on criminal Justice. The murder took place on August 26, 2004. I took special interest in the case because the person who did the killing was a friend of mine. He used to be my drill sergeant in basic and I also went to church with him. The murder took place in Hawaii on Wednesday of August. The couple had just been to a divorce trial earlier that morning at the custody hearing on their child, who was eighteen months at the time. Bianca Ward a German national was awarded custody of their child. Bianca was eight months pregnant. She was also given permission to return to Germany to give birth to the couple's second child. SSG Ward was seeking counseling for the anger he had toward his wife, and was scheduled for a second session after the custody trail was over.

Unfortunately, he never made the second session. The night of the custody trail SSG Ward went to their house to drop off his son from after an outing to McDonald's. It was then when an altercation happened. SSG Ward hit Bianca over the head with a blunt object and crushed her skull. After being bludgeon he stabbed her 13 times. She was killed and so was her child inside her. SSG Ward was found guilty of the unpremeditated murder of his pregnant wife from a military jury. SSG Ward now faces a maximum prison term of life without parole. There were no charges against the death of Bianca's unborn child. Since this trial, this murder and many other murders have been given as examples of the "Unborn Victims of Violence Act" today, a debate rages over the underlying purpose of the bill: Should an unborn baby be protected from violence or should a "woman's right to motherhood" be protected? Work cited Barayuga, Debra. "No signs of violence seen before stabbing". Star Bulletin. 31August 1999..

Foster, Julie."Congress debates protecting unborn". World Net Daily. 26 April 2001 .

Kakesako, Gregg K. "Schofield soldier found guilty in pregnant wife's murder".Star-Bulletin. 28 January 2000.

Sakamoto, Ken."Soldier may face court-martial". Star-Bulletin.8 November 1999. .