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|NEXT STORY »

Texas Mom Gets 99 Years for Cutting Off Son's Genitals

By Jason Farago| Posted Aug 18, 09 5:58 AM CDT|

(Newser) – A Texas mother was sentenced to 99 years in prison last night for cutting off her infant son's genitals, an attack she blamed on the family's dog. Katherine Nadal, now 28, tested positive for cocaine, methadone, and Xanax the day after the mutilation. None of the baby's severed parts were found. At the sentencing Nadal shouted that she "didn't hurt him," leading the baby's father to scream, "You abused him while he was still in the womb!"

At closing arguments, the district attorney showed a picture of the smiling child and told the jury, "This kid has so many problems coming toward him in the future. She took his identity, folks. And she either flushed it or threw it in the trash can somewhere."

Katherine Nadal listens to testimony during her trial in Houston last week. She was sentenced to 99 years in jail for severing her son's genitals. (AP Photo/Nick de la Torre, Houston Chronicle)

Katherine Nadal listens to opening statements during her trial in Houston last week. (AP Photo/Nick de la Torre, Houston Chronicle)

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45 comments

VIEWING:

IN RESPONSE:

Yourself
Aug 18, 09 11:09 AM CDT

18? shit, let him at her as soon as he wants to take his shot at her.

IN RESPONSE:

Mad
Aug 18, 09 4:46 PM CDT

Bet he fights like a sissy

-9

| 0 minutes ago

Fondue
Aug 18, 09 7:27 AM CDT

Who believes she was probably doing drugs during the pregnancy? Reply

+19

IN RESPONSE:

kokuaguy
Aug 18, 09 5:38 PM CDT

That's an intimidating icon, there, Mr. Fondue, Sir. I guess I'll be giving thumbs up to all your posts from now on. Have a great day. : ^)

| 0 minutes ago

Timinator2K
Aug 18, 09 7:59 AM CDT

Make her go cold turkey off her drugs. That should give her a taste of Hell. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Yourself
Aug 18, 09 11:10 AM CDT

and that still isn't anywhere NEAR enough for the torment she's caused her kid.

| 0 minutes ago

DavoMax
Aug 18, 09 8:20 AM CDT

Or just legalize/decriminalize all drugs. That'll fix the problems right? (more sarcasm BTW) Reply

-4

IN RESPONSE:

2-bits
Aug 18, 09 8:25 AM CDT

Statistically speaking it does. But it's too late for the victims in this case anyway.

IN RESPONSE:

IndependentThinker
Aug 18, 09 10:29 AM CDT

Umm 2 of the 3 drugs she was on were legal...

IN RESPONSE:

PaleRider
Aug 18, 09 10:58 AM CDT

@2-bit, you are an idiot if you believe that.

-9

IN RESPONSE:

rajanKazhmin
Aug 18, 09 8:32 PM CDT

2-bits is right. Drugs are illegal, this happened anyway. If our society focused more on early treatment than zero tolerance future tragedies like this could possibly be avoided.

| 0 minutes ago

prowlerzee
Aug 18, 09 8:22 AM CDT

You know, as horrific as this is, and it won't matter to the poor child how it happened, I went and read the original story, and as soon as I saw "dachshund" I believed the mother's story. So she was doped up and didn't protect her son. I love dachshunds, but read up on them. They will eat people. There was a fairly recent story on one chewing the toes off a diabetic woman who couldn't feel it happening. Reply

-5

IN RESPONSE:

Doctor_Supercilious
Aug 18, 09 10:49 AM CDT

Any medical doctor worth his/her diploma could tell the difference between a dog bite and a knife cut.

IN RESPONSE:

Yourself
Aug 18, 09 11:11 AM CDT

i'm gonna have to side with Zaius on this one. a butchering and a bitting of said body parts definitly wouldn't look the same AT ALL!

| 0 minutes ago

Doctor_Supercilious
Aug 18, 09 9:52 AM CDT

Evil knows no gender. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

youngblood
Aug 18, 09 11:13 AM CDT

This poor kid, god dame, you got to feel sorry for him, what a fucked up person she is and too bad it's not a tooth for a tooth or a genital for a genital and let someone have a go at her! WHAT A LOW-LIFE BITCH!! Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Scrambles
Aug 18, 09 11:13 AM CDT

Her son should be allowed "eye for an eye" justice....hah Reply

| 0 minutes ago

zaqqytvs
Aug 18, 09 11:33 AM CDT

she probably ate his balls. evil whoremom. Reply

-3

IN RESPONSE:

Sayyiduna
Aug 18, 09 11:51 AM CDT

Haha, I feel so bad for laughing but that was funny..

| 0 minutes ago

SomeGuyInNC
Aug 18, 09 1:05 PM CDT

I tend to believe that the punishment for most people who hurt children is too little. This lady will spend her life in jail, but honestly, I believe the death penalty should be extended to pedophiles and people who do egregious acts, such as this, to children. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Doctor_Supercilious
Aug 18, 09 3:39 PM CDT

How long do you really think she will last in the prison system before getting shanked?

IN RESPONSE:

OWLWOMANXXXX
Aug 18, 09 9:32 PM CDT

I would rather let this person sit in her cell for the rest of her life and think about what she did...and everytime she comes up for parole...let someone be there to put her back in her cell

| 0 minutes ago

Realist
Aug 18, 09 1:44 PM CDT

99 years at the tax-payers expense. A cruel irony if this poor little guy makes it through to his working life, he'll actually be contributing to keeping his mother clothed and fed, etc. Sickening. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

westonism
Aug 18, 09 2:45 PM CDT

OK. Anyone with a worse childhood trauma please raise your hand. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

flame821
Aug 18, 09 6:05 PM CDT

1] gender is about more than genitals. 2] I wouldn't be surprised if science can help this poor little thing out in the next decade or two. All those gender reassignment surgeries will help the victims of traumatic incidents like this (or car accident, bobbits, etc) when it comes to replacing/repairing organs

| 0 minutes ago

BlahBlahBlah
Aug 18, 09 3:26 PM CDT

Sad. Crazy and sad. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

PrestoEnigma
Aug 18, 09 5:07 PM CDT

At least its better than the crazy religious moms who lock their kids in a closet until they die of thirst. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

SomeGuyInNC
Aug 18, 09 9:42 PM CDT

no, it is not, let some one cut off your nuts and then let someone put you in a closet and deprive you of water. See which hurts the worst, jackass!

IN RESPONSE:

Realist
Aug 19, 09 9:56 AM CDT

Better HOW? Because he just has to live his life disfigured, knowing he's different to all the other kids at school and that his mom did it to him? That's a pretty poorly thought out argument!

| 0 minutes ago

aloha
Aug 18, 09 11:08 PM CDT

The child may have had been saved the pain, disfigurement and mental stability if perhaps someone who knew this woman step in and called social servies to inform them this woman was unfit to raise the child. With the over crowded prisions and budget cuts, she'll likely get probation and have more kids and abuse them as well. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

WellerVanHoff
Aug 19, 09 12:19 AM CDT

No denying that cleaving off a child's genitals is a barbaric act, but I wonder why this woman gets 99 years in jail when men who brutally murder their wives often receive as few as 25. A woman who takes away her son's ability to orgasm gets life, but a murderer gets 25? So - what really merits the 99-year sentence, is it her lack of responsibility by taking drugs, thus losing her rationality? Because that seems no worse to me than deliberate murder, motivated by anger or jealousy. PS: modern hormone therapy will allow this kid to develop an otherwise normal male physique. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

nostaw29@yahoo.com
Aug 19, 09 1:45 PM CDT

If you are a monster in the form of a woman nothing will change, like a thief will always be a blooming thief, drugs dont have hands to hold a weapon of any sort, instead of hurting someone why dont they just hurt themselves Reply

| 0 minutes ago

SGJR8860
Aug 19, 09 5:11 PM CDT

Someone should keep this story handy to pass out to all the anti-abortionists the next time they're in town. Abortion? No, I'm not for it. What I AM for is the forcible "neutering" of people like this, so they can NEVER be allowed to have anymore children. You want to lower yourself to the behavior of a mentally defective dog or cat that doesn't know any better? You should be spayed or neutered just like one. Reply

-1

| 0 minutes ago

reasonator
Aug 19, 09 7:25 PM CDT

Euthanasia for the son. (I know. Bring on the negative votes, but I think in rare in cases like this, while the boy is still an infant, it is an appropriate act to spare him from a life of problems and depression.) Reply

IN RESPONSE:

WellerVanHoff
Aug 19, 09 8:27 PM CDT

So... should all transgendered people be killed at birth, too? What about intersexed infants whose aberrant genitalia are removed by ignorant doctors? Should all hermaphrodites be euthanized? Just because the son won't fit into a cookie-cutter gender rubric doesn't mean he can't lead a meaningful life for himself.

IN RESPONSE:

reasonator
Aug 19, 09 8:47 PM CDT

I hold the belief that in certain cases of extreme deformity or health problems, then yes the parents should have a right to euthanize the infant (within the first month or so) using a painless method. Some of the specific issues you raised can be debated. I reject your "cookie cutter" comment. We are all going to be different; no two people are the same. But some people born with severe deformities or health problems will lead harder lives. Consider a girl born with sever dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa as an example. If I was a parent and my infant was diagnosed with this disorder, I would view it an act of mercy to choose euthanasia.

IN RESPONSE:

WellerVanHoff
Aug 19, 09 9:07 PM CDT

Indeed, every person is different from the next. Who is to judge which differences would exempt a person from a life well-lived? I'm simply alarmed that you consider the loss of genitalia such an impediment to a good life. The son is deformed, yes, but he can walk, he can see, he can reason. If society renders a person with atypical genitals any less able to live happily than, say, a paraplegic (or should they be euthanized as well?), then I think we should reconsider our attitudes towards gender issues.

IN RESPONSE:

reasonator
Aug 19, 09 10:28 PM CDT

We aren't talking about you or I being the judge, but the parents making that decision with court approval. I'm not saying euthanasia should be allowed for any reason, but there are some reasons courts should allow parents this option, especially in the case of an extreme impairment, deformity or disease. In this particular case, it is not just about genitalia. I read a news report that said the infant lost half of his blood following the incident that he will always require medical attention for the rest of his life. But yes, if the issue was the severed genitalia alone I still think it should be an option for the parents. I try to imagine if I were the father of this boy. And it is the absolute truth that without genitalia we are less able to live a happy life. There are other fulfilling things in life, sure. But, and biology bears this out, romance, love, sex, pair bonding, and perhaps parenthood are the central most important factors in life. This child will be deprived of those. And as a father, before my infant has fully developed cognitive function, I would seek a harmless way to keep him from experiencing the trouble that would come his way. Other parents may not choose it, fine. But it should be allowed as an option in this rare case and should be seen as an act of mercy, not an act of evil. As far as people born as hermaphrodites, I don't see how that would necessarily lead to an unhappy life in the way having your entire genitals removed would.

IN RESPONSE:

WellerVanHoff
Aug 20, 09 2:56 AM CDT

I appreciate the value of merciful euthanasia, and I support a person's right to choose death. However I think it is disastrous to allow parents to presume euthanasia is the best course for their diseased/deformed infant. My fears are confirmed by your own eagerness to declare this boy a lost cause. You make your diagnosis without sufficient knowledge about the treatments available to repair his deformity, as evidenced by voicing that this boy will not experience romance, love, sex, pair bonding, and parenthood. Unless he suffered brain damage during his trauma, he will remain fully capable of romance, love, and pair bonding. If his father invests in the moderate cost of a phalloplasty, the boy will be suited for intercourse, and a low-cost hormone regimen will see to it that he has a male physique and libido, to boot. And I'm sure you are aware that many couples are unable to conceive, but have alternative options for pursuing parenthood. Even your "absolute truth" crumbles in the face of the asexual population - a small, but not statistically insignificant demographic (I believe they rely little on genitalia for their happiness). Be careful in making such sweeping claims. I leave you, then, with one question. Do you have so little faith in parenting abilities - whether your own, or in others - so as to believe that such a child cannot be brought to love himself, appreciate the joys of life, and reflect back and think, "I am glad to have lived"?

IN RESPONSE:

WellerVanHoff
Aug 20, 09 5:50 AM CDT

Reasonator, I apologize for any aggression that has seeped into my responses. I hope to illustrate my perspectives in another way. My impression is that you believe this boy cannot find happiness, since he is lacking genitalia. But my question is, what if he could? In fact, what if it was easy for him to be happy? If he was of the disposition to have a greater appreciation of what he has, instead of remaining bitter and humiliated at his loss? Especially with modern therapies, I think this is entirely possible - also, I find that people faced with hardship often surprise us in their resilience, and adaptation. Perhaps we simply are proponents of contrasting approaches to parenting; in my experience, children learn best when confronted with troubles, or hardships, that they must overcome. I believe the role of a parent is to guide them *through* these moments, and help them learn from them, instead of protecting them from every bump in the road or giving up on the situation as a hopeless cause. I also sense that modern society has little understanding of, and little tolerance for, any sort of gender- or sex deviations from the ordinary. So forgive me if I am too quick to argue for the rights of the (increasingly uncloseted) gender-atypical. I just feel that this boy should not feel so ashamed of his "condition" that he would want to die, and I believe that with reasonable parenting, and surgical intervention, he will be able to adjust and experience a vast helping of the world's delights without issue. At the root of my disagreement with your proposed euthanasia policies is that whether the child is suffering from a "serious infirmity" is subjective! To you, this mutilated child is beyond recovery - mentally, physically. To me, I trust he is robust enough to recover, especially with medical help available. Not only that, but he may go on to actively promote anti-drug awareness, or be inspired to become a phalloplastic surgeon himself. So whose prediction should we lend credence to? I'll just say that imho, I believe we should let the boy grow up to decide for himself. /// I hope I have addressed the most pressing issues of our discussion, and I am certainly glad to have had the opportunity to think it through.

IN RESPONSE:

reasonator
Aug 22, 09 8:03 PM CDT

No apologies needed. This is the first constructive and enjoyable conversation on the site I've had with a person who responded to me with reasonable passion. I commend your positive outlook for the boy's future. I still disagree with you, but I am willing to let our comments stand for others to decide, though I have to leave with this thought: I agree that part of life is suffering and learning to cope with difficulties. But it is one thing to cope with serious health difficulties at some point in your life (even early in life), and it is another to start out life at 5 months old with such a debilitating condition. I believe in the preciousness of life. I believe in it so much that if I was his father, I would save him from living and suffering from his condition for all his life and allow him as an infant to be at peace before he was old enough to be aware of the horrific condition his mother left him with, which would deprave him with the fundamental pleasures of a normal life. I believe some people's religious beliefs would get in the way of making that kind of merciful decision. But my beliefs don't get in the way of that decision.

| 0 minutes ago

Shannonals
Aug 19, 09 8:05 PM CDT

Brings a tear to my eyes hearing about a parent abusing a child in this manner. She deserves nothing but the chair so she can be judged by a higher power Reply

| 0 minutes ago

cognitivefilter
Aug 19, 09 10:31 PM CDT

sick, sick woman. what kind of drugs would possess someone to do that. she must be some sort of psychopath as well Reply

| 0 minutes ago

reasonator
Aug 19, 09 10:41 PM CDT

On a related note: Before Nadal severed her son's genitalia she got in an argument about circumcision for the boy. She wanted to have him circumcised, the father did not. I don't know why any person, woman or man, would want to mutilate the genitalia of babies in the form of circumcision. It's done really for religious reasons. The health benefits are minimal, if existent at all. It deprives sensitivity for men during sex. It's a barbaric religiously motivated practice, and it should end. Use your brains, parents. There is no reason to cut off any part of your children. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

aghast
Aug 21, 09 3:14 PM CDT

Horrible. Female genital mutilation should also be severely punished. It happens to a large percentage of the female population of the world everyday! We need more female judges. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

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Texas Mom Gets 99 Years for Cutting Off Son's Genitals

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