In the first three years after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to an abortion in June 2022, more than 900 women faced criminal charges for conduct related to their pregnancies, according to a new report.
Most state laws that prohibit or regulate abortion seek to penalize those who provide abortions, not the women who undergo them. Nevertheless, researchers from Pregnancy Justice, a nonprofit group that supports abortion rights, found 13 specific allegations related to obtaining, seeking to obtain, or researching how to get an abortion. The group would not provide additional details on those cases, saying it is still collecting data and hopes to publish a full analysis in 2028.
The vast majority of the charges -- 876 of 955 -- were for child abuse, neglect or endangerment, most related to substance use during pregnancy. Researchers found 871 separate allegations of substance use and 77 allegations that a woman had failed to obtain prenatal care.
The most prominent anti-abortion groups have long argued against prosecuting women for having abortions, a punishment that remains broadly unpopular. But the new report comes as a growing number of state...
Source: Boston Herald