Minneapolis / St. Paul News Blog

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​The parents who prayed instead of seeking medical care for their dying 11-year-old daughter have been sentenced to six months in jail for her death. The judge hopes God speaks to them in jail to teach them a lesson while they remember their daughter who died on the floor of their home as people surrounding her prayed.

Dale and Leilani Neumann have been ordered to serve 30 days a year in jail for the next six years. They are also on probation for 10 years, which requires them to allow doctors to do random checkups on their underage children and bring them to doctors if they are sick or injured.

Their 11-year-old daughter, Madeline Kara, died of complications from undiagnosed diabetes. Her parents could have received up to 25 years in prison for not seeking medical care for her after being convicted of second-degree reckless homicide. The parents both believe prayer can heal illness.

Each parent will serve their 30 days at different times of the year. More from the Wausau Daily Herald:

Howard told the Neumanns they were "very good people, raising their family who made a bad decision, a reckless decision."

"God probably works through other people," he told the parents, "some of them doctors."