A Florida woman accused of drowning her 15-month-old daughter in a bathtub during an at-home religious ritual has been found not guilty by reason of insanity. The jury accepted arguments that she was suffering from severe delusions at the time of the incident. The 43-year-old Precious Bland said she drowned her baby in a bathtub due to a "psychotic episode" caused by COVID-19, according to local media reports.
The ruling means she will not serve a traditional prison sentence and is instead expected to receive psychiatric treatment under court supervision. The case's ruling has sparked intense debate over mental illness, faith-based delusions, and criminal responsibility.
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Incident involved death of 15-month-old daughter
According to court reports, the mother was accused of drowning her toddler daughter during what was described as an at-home baptism attempt. The tragic incident took place inside the family home and led to serious criminal charges being filed against her. The woman not just drowned her 15-month-old daughter in a bathtub but also stabbed her husband and teenage daughter, as per NBC Miami.
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Prosecutors argued that the act resulted in the child’s death and should be treated as a criminal offense, while the defense maintained that the woman was not mentally stable at the time. The incident happened on the night of August 23, 2021, at a home near Northwest 99th Street and 30th Avenue in West Little River.
