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Republicans and bible-thumping conservative types have been praying for the day when women and doctors would be imprisoned and punished for making personal and medical decisions. Sadly, that day has arrived no thanks to the Trump-appointed Supreme Court judges who chose their religious zealotry over the will of the women of America.
The fight against abortion has led to some very ugly people making some very ugly arguments in an attempt to exact revenge against those they deem amoral criminals. Some of these folks are so gung-ho about their moral grandstanding that they are even down to punish women who have miscarriages! According to WKBN27 in Ohio, a 33-year-old woman named Brittany Watts has been criminally charged with felony abuse of a corpse after she suffered a nonviable pregnancy at her home. Watts was 22 weeks pregnant on Sept. 22, 2023 when she passed the remains of a growing fetus into the toilet in her bathroom. Upon flushing the toilet, the pipes became clogged and when she tried to plunge the commode, detectives were called to investigate the death of a child. On Nov. 2, 2023, Watts was wrought with emotion when she learned that the case against her would be moving to a Trumbull County grand jury to decide whether or not the charges are appropriate.
Forensic pathologist Dr. George Sterbenz testified an autopsy found no injury to the fetus, and that the unborn fetus had died before passing through the birth canal. He said Watts’ medical records showed she visited the hospital twice before the delivery.
Watts reportedly has no criminal record whatsoever yet these sick prosecutors find it reasonable to charge her with crimes as if she has purposely and maliciously mutilated someone.
“The issue isn’t how the child died, when the child died — it’s the fact that the baby was put into a toilet, large enough to clog up a toilet, left in that toilet and she went on [with]her day,” said Warren assistance prosecutor Lewis Guarnieri.
First and foremost, having a miscarriage isn’t a crime. Secondly, flushing the toilet after a miscarriage is not a crime either. When a woman has an abortion or takes a Plan B pill, passing the remains into the toilet is a regular part of the process. What was Brittany Watts supposed to do? Call the police? Turn herself in and get a lawyer? It’s no one’s business but here we are…
