BURIED-BABY CASE LIKELY INVOLVES ADULTS TOO

One of the saddest stories to be published in the Southeast Missourian recently was the account of the stillborn baby found buried in a Jackson backyard. A 14-year-old girl believed to be the dead baby's mother is in the custody of juvenile authorities.

So far, no one else has been held responsible for this tragic incident. It is a thin stretch to accept that a young girl endured a pregnancy and birth on her own without any adult support or assistance.

Officials last week said the case was still under investigation. It isn't likely, said prosecuting attorney Morley Swingle, that any charges would be brought against the girl. The aim of the juvenile justice system tends to focus less on blame and more on rehabilitation and an eventual return to society as a productive adult.

But that same society would be right to have the expectation that any adults involved in this case will be held strictly accountable.