- woman Raped while in coma - Case Study Example

Case Study – Woman Raped While In Coma The essay aims to discuss the case of a woman who was raped in afacility while in a coma. Primarily, the discourse would address the following issues, to wit: (1) to determine the ethical dilemma present in the case; (2) to analyze the case using the RESOLVEDD method; (3) to use ethical principles and theories to present the various solutions to the problem; and finally (4) to come up with a decision in the resolution of the case. Case Study – Woman Raped While in Coma This essay is about the case of a 25 year old woman who was raped while she was in a coma in a small long-term care facility.

The parents of the woman do not want the child and they want the baby to be aborted. Furthermore, they are planning to sue the facility for the crime committed. Using the RESOLVEDD method, the first item that must be expounded on is the review of the facts. There is a need to know the details of the rape. When was the rape consummated, who were the people or staff in the facility at the time of the rape and was there any staff in particular who was assigned to the woman at that time. Information as to whether there were other visitors of the other patients present at that time need to be determined.

The policies of the facility regarding who can enter a patient’s room must be scrutinized too. The second step that must be done is to estimate or specify the problem presented in the case. The major problem in this case is what to do with the baby. Should the baby be aborted or should it be allowed to live? Will the current state of health of the woman permit her to rear a child? If the baby is not aborted, whose responsibility is it to take care of the baby? Another issue to be resolved is whether the facility has a responsibility to take care of the baby?

There are several solutions that may be considered in this case. One solution is to abort the baby since the parents of the woman does not want to take responsibility for the baby. Another option is to let the baby live and maybe ask the facility to take care of it instead of the parents suing them for negligence. A third option is to let the baby live and put it up for adoption with the help of an institution which takes care of similar cases. The proper government agencies should also investigate the facility because of its gross negligence resulting on the rape of one of its patients.

The corresponding sanctions must be imposed on them. After discussing the possible solutions, the probable outcomes or consequences of each solution must be stated. If the baby will be aborted, will the parents still sue the facility? If the woman will pursue its pregnancy, what extra care should be given to her? Will the parents take care of her or will the facility handle the extra attention she needs? If the baby is allowed to live, what will happen to his future? The impact of these solutions on each of the persons involved must be evaluated too.

Will the solution benefit the raped woman, the parents, the facility and the baby? Will the solution be beneficial to all concerned or will it benefit only a few? Another important aspect in this case is the values and the ethical principles involved. Aborting the baby means denying the child of the most basic human right, the right to life. Do the parents of the raped woman have the right to decide on the life of this innocent child? If the utilitarian theory of ethics is applied in this situation, abortion may be justified because it provides for the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest amount of people, i.e. the parents of the woman and the facility (Rainbow, 2002).

This theory also justifies the killing of the baby, which is the means, because the end, which is the problem of taking care of the baby, is solved instantly. State laws regarding abortion must also be taken into consideration. If the beneficence principle is applied, “doing good” is the solution to this ethical dilemma of whether the baby will be aborted or not. In this case, “doing good” means giving the innocent baby the right to live. Allowing the baby to live is also in accordance with the rights ethical theory, whereby the rights set forth by society are given the highest priority (Rainbow, 2002).

Turning to the deontological theory for the solution to this problem, it might be considered that the parents have the duty and obligation to take care of the baby since their daughter is not in a position to do so (Rainbow, 2002). But isn’t it that the facility has an obligation too because the woman would not have gotten pregnant in the first place if it was not negligent in protecting its patients? The ethical theories and principles weigh greatly on the decision-making process in this situation.

After an analysis of the case by using a combination of the various theories and principles, I think that if the woman is found by its doctor to be fit to bear a child and that the baby will still be healthy despite being in the womb of a comatose mother, the solution to the problem is to let the baby live. If the parents of the woman are not willing to take care of the baby, they can put up the baby for adoption or hand it over to an orphanage. I understand fully the reasons of the parents if they do not want to take care of the baby but that is not enough reason to kill the baby.

Of course, nobody wanted the rape to happen but the innocent child has the right to live. On the other hand, we cannot allow the facility to wash its hands toward the crime committed. The parents have all the right too to sue them to prevent similar incidents in the future. The above solution would create the least harm to the people concerned and still adhere to the correct moral virtue. References Kvanig, J. (1999). The RESOLVEDD method. Retrieved 2 May 2011. http://www.ryerson.ca/ethicsnetwork/downloads/model_A.pdf. Rainbow, C. (2002). Descriptions of Ethical Theories and Principles.

Retrieved 2 May 2011. http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/kabernd/indep/carainbow/Theories.htm