During her 11 years of living, nobody seemed to care very much as Haleigh Poutre shifted from home to home and abuse to horrifying abuse. But now, when the only questions left seem to be when and how she will die, this little girl finally has everyone's attention.
Haleigh, who has been in a coma since September because of an injury to her brain stem, is now the focus of a court battle here that combines the most tragic kind of child custody dispute with wrenching questions about how to end a life.
On one side is the state of Massachusetts, whose social-service system failed to prevent Haleigh's abuse and is now seeking to remove her life support.
On the other is Haleigh's stepfather, Jason Strickland, whose wife adopted the girl and who has been charged in her abuse. He believes the girl should be kept alive -- but he also might be prosecuted for murder if she is not.
"Your client has, at very minimum, a profound conflict of interest in this case," said Margaret H. Marshall, chief justice of the state Supreme Judicial Court, addressing a lawyer for the stepfather during a hearing here last week.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/11/AR2005121100826.html