Commonwealth v. Howard
Superior Court of Pennsylvania
402 A.2d 674 (1979)
Relevant factsFree
Howard (defendant) never attempted to stop or report her boyfriend's regular, severe beatings of her five-year-old daughter over several weeks, and during one such beating the child fell, hit her head, and died; Howard was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and appealed.
IssueFree
Whether a parent may be convicted of involuntary manslaughter for a child's death if the parent failed to protect the child from a known and substantial risk of harm that directly caused the child's death.