Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 13:50:48 -0800
On Dateline tonight, a story was aired of two young
adults in Utah who believed their 18-month old child
was "blessed by God" and the father, Christopher
Fink, a "prophet". They entreated their child as
"holy" by feeding it only raw fruits and vegetables
and neglecting it to the point that pediatricians
later diagnosed the tot to be chronically
malnutritioned and developmentally disabled. The
child could not walk, was "skin & bones" with no baby
fat looking skeletal. The parents claimed their
child had to "remain pure" and the mother was quoted
as having said that it would be God's will if their
child died.
Concerned family members contacted a child-help
organization, "Helping Hands", which led to the child
being placed into a Salt Lake Hospital for medical
care. Doctors claimed the child was "on the brink of
death." Social service officials allowed the parents
to visit their child as long as a nurse was present.
According to the report, the father, Christopher
Fink, on the premise of walking the child around the
lobby, caught the nurse off-guard and fled the
hospital with their child and took refuge in a hidden
mountain location. Hunters later discovered the pair
and informed law enforcement officials who arrested
the pair. Their child is now in a foster home and the
parents are awaiting trial on federal kidnapping
charges. The father, Christopher Fink, makes the
case that (1) they cannot be charged with kidnapping
their own child, and (2) their child's condition was
the result of a religious practice.
Fink had once created a website on Geocities.com
explaining his side of the story, but the webpage is
now closed.
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From: David Rice
Subject: "blessed by god"
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