In 2002, Yates was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison after she drowned her five children in a bathtub while her husband was at work in June 2001. Her children ranged in age from 6 months to 7 years old. She was later found not guilty by reason of insanity during a retrial, and committed to a state psychiatric hospital.
A CNN headline from March 2002 read, “Psychiatrist: Yates could have made herself better.” In a college student opinion column from February 2002, The State Press columnist Rob Jones wrote, “If it were up to many people, there would be no trial, only an execution.” Some columns from that time showed more nuance or even compassion, including an opinion piece published by The Washington Post in February 2002. In that piece, political columnist Richard Cohen wrote, “Why not treat this tragedy for what it is – the act of a sick woman?”
Now, the world is awaiting Clancy’s fate − but with “definitely more empathy this time, and looking at a broken system,” Vaeth said. The mother from Massachusetts faces three murder charges for strangling 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan in January 2023. While prosecutors say Clancy planned the killings − and Clancy does not dispute that she killed her children − Clancy’s defense attorney Kevin Reddington says she is not guilty because she, like Yates, was suffering from postpartum psychosis.
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“This is not the first, this will not be the last, unfortunately, parent who is experiencing psychosis,” Hanna said. “These people who are stepping up and speaking up are saying, ‘Hello? I’m over here. Yep, I’ve actually had that, but not that. I had something, and I didn’t know what it was, and no one heard me or listened.’”
In spite of everything I’m happy to see how empathetic the cultural response has been. As someone who’s had psychosis (not post-partum) it’s an incredibly difficult place to be. You can’t control your thoughts, your memories get warped, you hear and see things that aren’t there - and I had no history of it before.
No one who has psychosis is in control of themselves and shouldn’t be treated as though they are. It’s a step in the right direction that we’re starting to lay the blame where it belongs.
So happy that you’re doing better these days. It’s really scary to have your mind not in your control.
I was more angry and frustrated than anything, because I knew something was very wrong and had to talk to five different doctors before finally… getting on a two month waitlist to see someone who then, finally, helped. I legitimately planned to stalk and beat up one of the doctors I was so crazy and pissed off, and I’m not ashamed to say it because that’s what it’s like.
Even if you try to help yourself the system is utter shit. So when I hear stories like these I feel it in my soul.