Coffin Conversations - by dementia

RENO, Nev. - A couple authorities say were so obsessed with the Internet and
video games that they left their babies starving and suffering other health
problems have pleaded guilty to child neglect.
The children of Michael and Iana Straw, a boy age 22 months and a girl age
11 months, were severely malnourished and near death last month when doctors
saw them after social workers took them to a hospital, authorities said.
Both children are doing well and gaining weight in foster care, prosecutor

Kelli Ann Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Michael Straw, 25, and Iana Straw, 23, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts
each of child neglect. Each faces a maximum 12-year prison sentence.
Viloria said the Reno couple were too distracted by online video games,
mainly the fantasy role-playing “Dungeons & Dragons” series, to give their
children proper care.
“They had food; they just chose not to give it to their kids because they
were too busy playing video games,” Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Children injured, malnourished

Police said hospital staff had to shave the head of the girl because her
hair was matted with cat urine. The 10-pound girl also had a mouth
infection, dry skin and severe dehydration.
Her brother had to be treated for starvation and a genital infection. His
lack of muscle development caused him difficulty in walking, investigators
said.
The Straws have been given public defenders. Jeremy Bosler, head of the
county public defender’s office, declined to comment to The Associated Press
on Saturday.
Michael Straw is an unemployed cashier, and his wife worked for a temporary

staffing agency doing warehouse work, according to court records. He
received a $50,000 inheritance that he spent on computer equipment and a
large plasma television, authorities said.

AMA ponders gaming addiction

While child abuse because of drug addiction is common, abuse rooted in video
game addiction is rare, Viloria said.
Last month, experts at an American Medical Association meeting backed away
from a proposal to designate video game addiction as a mental disorder,
saying it had to be studied further. Some said the issue is like alcoholism,
while others said there was no concrete evidence it’s a psychological
disease.
Patrick Killen, spokesman for Nevada Child Abuse Prevention, said video game
addiction’s correlation to child abuse is “a new spin on an old problem.”
“As we become more technologically advanced, there’s more distractions,”
Killen said. “It’s easy for someone to get addicted to something and neglect
their children. Whether it’s video games or meth, it’s a serious issue, and
(we) need to become more aware of it.”