South Carolina Woman Arrested for Allegedly Taking Abortion Pills

A South Carolina lady was arrested and charged this week after allegedly taking abortion capsules to finish her being pregnant in October 2021. Native outlet The State was the primary to report the information. Abortion is at the moment authorized in South Carolina by way of 20 weeks, nevertheless it’s one of many few states that bans self-managed abortion.

Based on a police report obtained by The State, the girl sought medical take care of labor pains at St. Francis Hospital in October 2021, when she was 33. The lady instructed healthcare staff that she had taken capsules to finish her being pregnant. The county coroner’s workplace reported the incident to Greenville Police, although it’s not clear if the hospital reported it to the coroner’s workplace first. The report stated the fetus was stillborn at about 25 weeks and 4 days’ gestation. Greenville Police Sgt. Johnathan Brown instructed The State {that a} warrant for her arrest was signed sooner or later in 2022.

The State didn’t title the defendant “as a result of the costs are associated to a private medical process,” which is an effective precedent to set now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned and extra folks will probably be criminalized. However to be clear, folks have been arrested for abortions whereas Roe was legislation in states that don’t have specific bans on self-managed abortion, like Texas and Nebraska.

The alleged abortion occurred months earlier than the autumn of Roe, and it’s unclear why police didn’t cost the girl with “performing or soliciting an abortion” till this week. She reportedly posted $2,500 bond and was launched. Jezebel has requested the police incident report and can replace this story as soon as extra data is out there.

Dana Sussman, appearing government director of Being pregnant Justice, instructed Jezebel in a press release that South Carolina is just one of three states to explicitly criminalize self-managed abortions. “This case predates the reversal of Roe, however we sadly realize it’s indicative of the place we’re headed. Self-managing an abortion with treatment is extraordinarily protected; it’s the criminalization of it that makes it harmful,” Sussman stated. “Like so many instances, the sharing of non-public medical data with a supplier led to prison costs. In search of care or self-managing an abortion ought to by no means result in prison prosecution.”

“Being pregnant outcomes shouldn’t be criminalized,” Ashley Lidow, the director for coverage and authorities relations for the Ladies’s Rights and Empowerment Community instructed The State. “It’s very unlucky that that is one thing that’s occurring in our state, and it’s one thing that state lawmakers must be within the instant future.”

This lady’s story is a reminder that folks self-managing their abortions will be reported to police, even by medical employees. Advocates stress that folks wouldn’t have to—and in lots of instances shouldn’t—inform healthcare staff that they used abortion capsules or different means to finish their pregnancies. Folks exhibiting as much as get medical care can merely say that they’re having a miscarriage.

Individuals who want help self-managing a miscarriage or abortion can name the Miscarriage + Abortion Hotline at (833) 246-2632 for confidential medical help, or the Repro Authorized Helpline at (844) 868-2812 for confidential authorized data and recommendation.

It is a breaking information publish and will probably be up to date.