In 2002, Yates was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison after she drowned her five children in a bathtub while her husband was at work in June 2001. Her children ranged in age from 6 months to 7 years old. She was later found not guilty by reason of insanity during a retrial, and committed to a state psychiatric hospital.
A CNN headline from March 2002 read, "Psychiatrist: Yates could have made herself better." In a college student opinion column from February 2002, The State Press columnist Rob Jones wrote, "If it were up to many people, there would be no trial, only an execution." Some columns from that time showed more nuance or even compassion, including an opinion piece published by The Washington Post in February 2002. In that piece, political columnist Richard Cohen wrote, "Why not treat this tragedy for what it is -- the act of a sick woman?"
Now, the world is awaiting Clancy's fate − but with "definitely more empathy this time, and looking at a broken system," Vaeth said. The mother from Massachusetts faces three murder charges for strangling 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan in January 2023. While prosecutors say Clancy planned the killings − and Clancy does not dispute that she killed her children − Clancy's defense attorney Kevin Reddington says she is not guilty because she, like Yates, was suffering from postpartum psychosis.
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"This is not the first, this will not be the last, unfortunately, parent who is experiencing psychosis," Hanna said. "These people who are stepping up and speaking up are saying, 'Hello? I'm over here. Yep, I've actually had that, but not that. I had something, and I didn't know what it was, and no one heard me or listened.'"
27 Comments
Canconda@lemmy.ca · 11 pts · 13d
2002
2026
I think the bigger difference now is that with Roe v Wade overturned people are actually considering how not all mothers willingly had their children.
Even a willing mother can have postpartum depression after one child. Imagine what 5 unwanted children would do to someone. I can only imagine such conflicting and awful feelings.
velma@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 13d
I also think that Gen X and Millennial women have been pushing for better health care.
Canconda@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 13d
Certainly, but I think 10 years ago more people would assume a mother of 5 chose to be a mother of 5 and that's what drove their lack of sympathy. Now that women are changing states to access healthcare, people are more aware that women are being forced to have children.
velma@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 13d
I think women have known this for a much longer time than 10 years.
Why do you think women fought so hard for abortion rights?
People's lack of sympathy for mothers is due to misogyny and sexism. People have always known mothers were being forced to have children for as long as time has been recorded. They just didn't care.
I'm sorry to be blunt, I know we're on the same side here, but this is not a new thing.
Canconda@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 13d
We're talking about different subcultures though. You're talking broad spectrum. I'm talking about conservatives who famously only care about things that effect them directly. Roe V Wade being overturned increased the instances harm to of women; and inevitably some conservatives.
Nothing I'm saying is mutually exclusive with your points either I might add.
edit: Like you have to understand that in 2002 I was a church going Christian and can attest that there were Christian women who called her a murderer.
velma@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 13d
Ok well to be fair, you kept saying "people" instead of "conservatives", so that's where I felt clarification was needed.
Canconda@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 13d
TBF my original point wasn't purely pro-life/choice. It was about the assumption that a woman with 5 children must have wanted them in the first place. IMO that was not an exclusively conservative take at that time.
Wren@lemmy.today · 5 pts · 13d
The push for awareness of women's rights has been more of a group effort. Mental health awareness is much higher in millenials and gen Z as well, which helps them empathize with cases like these.
I won't deny that Roe v Wade showed people just how much women struggle to obtain healthcare and autonomy, but there has been a monumental effort by our generation to push for equality and awareness across the board.
Canconda@lemmy.ca · -1 pts · 13d
Yea I don't know why you and velma are misinterpreting what I'm saying as mutually exclusive to everything else.
You two should work on that.
I'll see myself out.
velma@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 13d
Neither of us said it was mutually exclusive. What's the point of joining a discussion if you only want to hear from people who know the exact same things you do and hold the exact same opinions?
That's exactly why I used the word "also" when replying to you. I'm adding onto your point and furthering the discussion.
Wren@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 13d
What lol.
Wren@lemmy.today · 9 pts · 13d
In spite of everything I'm happy to see how empathetic the cultural response has been. As someone who's had psychosis (not post-partum) it's an incredibly difficult place to be. You can't control your thoughts, your memories get warped, you hear and see things that aren't there - and I had no history of it before.
No one who has psychosis is in control of themselves and shouldn't be treated as though they are. It's a step in the right direction that we're starting to lay the blame where it belongs.
velma@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 13d
So happy that you're doing better these days. It's really scary to have your mind not in your control.
Wren@lemmy.today · 6 pts · 13d
I was more angry and frustrated than anything, because I knew something was very wrong and had to talk to five different doctors before finally.... getting on a two month waitlist to see someone who then, finally, helped. I legitimately planned to stalk and beat up one of the doctors I was so crazy and pissed off, and I'm not ashamed to say it because that's what it's like.
Even if you try to help yourself the system is utter shit. So when I hear stories like these I feel it in my soul.
Doom@discuss.online · 5 pts · 13d
Man this story and the movie Small Sacrifices(?) really fucked my mom up when I was a kid, I think she was struggling a lot mentally when we were kids and I don't think she ever wished us harm but it really exposed a part of her to herself that scared her. Calling it sad doesn't do justice to any of it. Devastatingly heartbreaking.
banause@feddit.org · -2 pts · 13d
I don't understand why everyone sides with her. I mean I get that the US healthcare is a joke and everything but she still killed five children.
ComfortableRaspberry@feddit.org · 10 pts · 13d
If you're asking about Clancy: Because she was literally out of her mind and, according to her ex-husband's family, begged for help in the weeks before she killed her children. She also mentioned hearing voices telling her to kill her children. She was a sick person that shouldn't have been alone (with her kids) in the first place.
What she did was horrible but she didn't do it because she's a horrible person.
ToiletFlushShowerScream@piefed.world · 7 pts · 13d
As I understand it, she actively and repeatedly sought professional help prior to the killings and was failed by the system each time. She also took multiple steps to end her own life immediately after leading to stopping her heart from beating. She definitely was not trying to commit a crime and then "get away with it" as she is being prosecuted for.
No matter the trial outcome she will be behind locked doors - probably until she finds another way to end her life. Whether that's in a prison where she won't get help, or a mental institution where she will.
It's a terrible story for that whole family, and it is infuriating there is not a single good guy in the whole tradegy.
velma@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 13d
Five children that her husband forced onto her.
I side with her because she was not in the right mind when she killed them. And yet she was treated as such.
Edit: Well shit, I thought you were talking about Yates since the article is about her and not Clancy.
ianhclark510@lemmy.blahaj.zone · -5 pts · 13d
The state will happily gun down anyone who shows signs of illness, pawns are discarded the second they cease to act as cogs in the machine of capitalism
velma@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 13d
What does this have to do with women's health and post partum psychosis?
sixtoe@lemmy.blahaj.zone · -4 pts · 13d
seriously? the state controls women's healthcare. capitalism is the taproot of state oppression. they are inextricably linked. all healthcare is state controlled. im surprised at this question here. it smacks of bad-faith time wasting.
velma@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 13d
The comment isn't furthering discussion on the topic though. Are they implying that women like Andrea Yates are going to be gunned down? That's not what's happening here in Yates or Clancy's situations.
sixtoe@lemmy.blahaj.zone · -6 pts · 13d
you asked and got an answer that is sufficient. if that is your read on this then I withdraw. this is giving debate me bro vibes. i don't argue with willful ignorance. its on you to resolve. fin.
velma@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 13d
Asking 1 clarifying question is being a "debate bro" now?
I know they're linked, but why bring it up on this particular post? You can't answer that?
sixtoe@lemmy.blahaj.zone · -5 pts · 13d
you are not entitled to my time or energy. your pursuit of interaction after I withdrew proves my point about the vibes. i double dog dare you to refrain from responding again. i bet 5 bucks you struggle to do this. the point is not the post anymore... the horse is dead now. bye?
velma@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 13d
Well aren't you pleasant lol