I don't think you can claim that. Prior abuse does not preclude cold or premeditated murder. In fact we don't have much details at all except that she beat her son, left him alone for several days and then buried the body later. That's reprehensible enough for me to say that I wouldn't want to work with her.
The post states she had a suffered psychological breakdown at that time, which clearly indicates she wasn't in the right frame of mind. It also outlined how the patterns of abuse she grew up with contributed to how she treated the child generally; its what she'd learned and knew no better.
Stop making excuses for her. Many of us grew up in abusive households and/or have suffered emotional and mental breakdowns.
She murdered her 4 year old child. And not manslaughter or crime of passion or whatever murder - but cold blooded beat him to death then hide the body murder.
Recognizing the significantly different context in that she was a 14 year old child who was raped, who had experienced other abuse before and while pregnant (she probably had no real choice or access to alternatives), which led to a breakdown, etc is not "making excuses for her".
I think we're trying to extrapolate too much from too little information. However, I do believe in some minimum level of culpability for your actions. Serial killers aren't excused for their often terrible childhoods. I think child killers belong in the same box. The idea that anyone in modern society "didn't know better" than to beat their small child then leave them for days strikes me as farcical.
She was a 14 year old child who was raped, who had experienced other abuse before and while pregnant. Given her circumstances, she probably had no access to alternatives or any real choice in whether/not to bear a child that resulted from rape. Given her upbringing and the manner of conception, it's not surprising she transferred patterns of abuse onto the child. Not excusing the crime or culpability (she was punished significantly for it), but recognizing that the context is significantly different.
I know you say you're not excusing her but forgive me because it seems like you sort of are, especially with this: "its what she'd learned and knew no better." I understand giving victims of abuse a bit of lee-way and understanding, I think that Michelle's crime though absolutely blows past that understanding though. If Michelle Jones was thrown in jail for using drugs or prostitution or any number of things I would be able to side with her on this. Child abuse, child neglect, child murder though? I can't do that.
