A 21-year-old American woman has been convicted of manslaughter after suffering a miscarriage last year. The reason: her drug use during her pregnancy.
- In France, surgical abortion can be performed until the end of the 12th week of pregnancy, ie 14 weeks after the start of the last menstrual period.
- Some political currents demand an extension of this period.
In Oklahoma, a 21-year-old American woman was sentenced on October 5 to 4 years in prison for manslaughter, after having had a miscarriage last year.
Methamphetamine and Marijuana
According to the facts relayed by Paris Match, Brittney Poolaw was taken to the hospital after giving birth at home. The young woman then admitted to the nursing staff that she had used methamphetamine and marijuana, which was confirmed by the toxicological report carried out on the stillborn fetus. For prosecutors, this drug use during pregnancy justifies the conviction for manslaughter.
However, several structures argued that this court decision was not in accordance with the law. “Oklahoma’s murder and manslaughter laws do not apply to miscarriages that occur before 20 weeks of pregnancy,” underlined the NAPW, a non-profit organization (the KSWO chain indicates that the child of Brittney Poolaw died after 17 weeks of gestation, Ed). “Contrary to all medical science, the prosecutor blamed the miscarriage on Ms. Poolaw’s alleged use of substances,” NAFW continues. The association adds: “Ms Poolaw’s case is a tragedy. She suffered the trauma of losing a child, was imprisoned for a year and a half during a pandemic and was charged and convicted of a crime without legal or scientific basis We support Ms Poolaw as she explores her legal options, and we are working to ensure this type of injustice does not happen again.”
A tense political context
This court case takes place in a tense political context in the United States concerning the right to abortion, in particular since a new law in Texas prohibits abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
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