OREGON CITY, Ore. -- A couple from a Clackamas County faith-healing church accused of criminal mistreatment for refusing to get medical care for their daughter 9-month-old Alayna will go on trial this week in Clackamas County.
Timothy and Rebecca Wyland pleaded not guilty in July of last year after they were accused of allowing a mass of blood vessels to grow over Alayna's eye, jeopardizing her vision.
Jury selection was set to begin Tuesday for their trial, which was expected to last about a week.
Background:Wylands accused of criminal mistreatment
The Wylands are members of the Followers of Christ church, which relies on faith-healing rituals to treat illness instead of medical care.Their case marked the third time in the past three years church members have faced charges following the death or illness of a child.
On Monday, the Oregon Senate voted to drop faith healing as a legal defense to murder or manslaughter. The measure was drafted largely in response to the deaths of children among members of the Followers of Christ Church in Oregon City.
Jeff and Marci Beagley were convicted of criminally negligent homicide in the death of their 16-year-old son, Neil. The Beagleys, also members of the Followers of Christ Church, said they prayed for their son to heal, instead of seeking medical care.
Background: Beagley negligent homicide case
Multnomah County deputies arrested Dale and Shannon Hickman, both 25, after they turned themselves in in July for second-degree manslaughter. A bacterial infection led to the child's premature birth and death hours later. Investigators said the couple did not seek the help of a doctor.
