Dad Let Toddler Drown in Sea as He Macked on Mistress

'It makes me angry,' says feisty teen horse-lover

(NEWSER) - A 13-year-old girl has taken court action to protect her pony, Pringle, from being seized by British authorities to help cover child support payments the teen's dad owes to her mom. "They said that my dad had a debt and they were going to take my pony. It made me angry," said Emma Chapelhow, who lives on a farm with her father and stepmom. Her pop owes some $60,000 to Emma's mom for caring for her until two years ago. Emma's seeking a public attorney since she says her dad can't afford to pay a lawyer. More»

(NEWSER) - Heartsick parents jumped to their death from cliffs in Britain with the body of their son who had died from an illness, reports the Times of London. The trio were found in East Sussex at the foot of Beachy Head, a notorious spot for suicides. The body of the couple's 5-year-old son was found in a backpack, along with a sack of toys. More»

Comfort in water may help prevent drowning

(NEWSER) - Just in time for Memorial Day, experts are relaxing their recommendation that children under 4 not be given swimming lessons. New evidence suggests lessons could help save little kids from drowning, the No. 2 cause of death for people aged 1 to 19, reports HealthDay News . "Children need to learn to swim," says the pediatrician who led the team behind the new guidelines More»

'I couldn't leave my child like that'

(NEWSER) - A British woman on trial for murdering her brain-damaged adult son by injecting him with a heroin overdose said she did it "with love." Frances Inglis, 57, said her 22-year-old son, Tom, was in a "living hell" of pain since suffering severe head injuries in a fall from an ambulance two years earlier. "I felt he lost his life when he came out of the ambulance. I felt that I was releasing him," said the nurse trainee. "I couldn't leave my child like that." More»

Parents shouldn't let them get too comfortable at home

(NEWSER) - Parents who want their adult kids to take job-hunting seriously shouldn't make things too comfortable for them at home, the British government warns. In the UK, the graduate unemployment rate is the highest it's been in 12 years, and a quarter of men 25 to 29 live at home, the Guardian reports. Hence, the new guidelines for parents eager to empty their nests. "If you are making life too comfortable at home, why would they get a job?" they are asked rhetorically. "So cut back to help increase their motivation." More»