An Ohio woman who had sought treatment at a hospital before suffering a miscarriage and passing her nonviable fetus in her bathroom now faces a criminal charge, her attorney told CNN.

Brittany Watts, 33, of Warren, has been charged with felony abuse of a corpse, Trumbull County court records show.

“Ms. Watts suffered a tragic and dangerous miscarriage that jeopardized her own life. Rather than focusing on healing physically and emotionally, she was arrested and charged with a felony,” her attorney, Traci Timko, told CNN in an email.

Though a coroner’s office report said the fetus was not viable and had died in the womb, Watts’ case highlights the extent to which prosecutors can charge a woman whose pregnancy has ended – whether by abortion or miscarriage.

  • Garbanzo@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    160
    ·
    7 months ago

    Every woman in Ohio should call the coroner to report their monthly discharge, just in case

  • Drusas@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    136
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    7 months ago

    A huge percentage of pregnancies end in miscarriage, very often before the woman even knows she was pregnant. This is the same. She should have to take special care of the mass her body rejected just because it was in there a little longer? What’s the cutoff for having to report that you had a miscarriage, then? Every period? Every time you have a period that’s a week or two late, because that is reasonably likely to have been a miscarriage?

    This was a non-viable fetus. It was never going to be a person. It’s not a corpse.

  • DarkMessiah@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    88
    ·
    edit-2
    7 months ago

    More and more, we see direct evidence as to why Roe vs Wade was necessary.

    Because rabid birthers will do anything to punish women who don’t give birth.

  • TheMusicalFruit@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    55
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    7 months ago

    Ohio continuing its slow march onto the list of places I won’t travel to anymore. I’ve stopped voluntarily traveling (and spending money in) states I find politically abhorrent, and it feels great. Texas made the list last year, and Florida this year. Cancelled our FL vacation and decided to go to California instead.

    • evidences@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      64
      ·
      7 months ago

      The real fucked up part of this is Ohioans just voted to codify abortion and reproductive rights into the state constitution. This is just some assholes trying to find ways around that amendment.

      • SuperDuper@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        50
        ·
        7 months ago

        We also voted to legalize weed and Republicans are trying to kneecap it by removing the right to grow any plants at home, limiting the amount you can carry, and limiting the concentration of THC allowed in any product.

        Republicans hate democracy.

        • Riccosuave@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          8
          ·
          edit-2
          7 months ago

          To be fair these are some of the same legal courses of action states like Washington have taken as well. Even legal cannabis is still a web of suppressive government bureaucracy, monopolistic tax structures, and punitive legal frameworks. We aren’t even close to what I would consider a just or equitable system, and every year it gets more heavily gentrified in favor of corporations who don’t give a single fuck about anybody who has suffered due to the war on drugs.

    • whofearsthenight@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      7 months ago

      Tangential, but I feel similarly and one of my bucket list items is a motorcycle trip across the country. At this point, do I just ride up to Canada, cross back over around New York? Or down to Tijuana, ride over until I hit ocean and swim around to Jersey? Serious question, should I pack mittens or water wings?

  • UziBobuzi@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    49
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    7 months ago

    Too bad medical science can’t invent a killer virus that takes out right wing fundamentalists with pinpoint accuracy.

    • AeroLemming@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      22
      ·
      edit-2
      7 months ago

      Isn’t advocating for genocide a bit much?

      Edit: apparently not. That’s really disappointing.

      • UziBobuzi@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        11
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        7 months ago

        The day they stop trying to shove their own personal religious choices down everyone else’s throat and criminalizing what should be a woman’s own bodily autonomy is the day I stop feeling this way.

        • AeroLemming@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          4
          ·
          7 months ago

          So you think the punishment for being even remotely associated with the politicians doing that should carry the punishment of a slow and painful death? A lot of fundies don’t even fucking vote. I think we need protections against their craziness enshrined in law and anyone directly interfering with someone else’s autonomy should be arrested, but mass murder is fucking insane and you know it.

        • AeroLemming@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          7 months ago

          they’re

          You mean the politicians and those who knowingly support them. Killing every fundie means killing a lot of religious people who don’t pay attention to politics and vote R because their parents vote R and their grandparents vote R. It also includes the people who don’t even fucking vote! You people are psychopaths.

          • UziBobuzi@kbin.social
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            6
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            7 months ago

            I seem to have misplaced my violin as it’s so tiny.

            But to quote their ridiculous ancient book of nonsense, you reap what you sow.

          • ASeriesOfPoorChoices@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            7 months ago

            Why did you try to list people who aren’t right wing fundamentalists?

            You’re making a strawman so you can be outraged.

            Go back to fox news grandpa, your need for rage has you fapping at strangers on lemmy.

  • whoisearth@lemmy.ca
    cake
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    17
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    7 months ago

    She’s black so the point is it’s supposed to be ok.

    I wish I was joking.

  • ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    10
    ·
    7 months ago

    The hospital staff notified the Warren Police Department, which responded to Watts’ home, the coroner’s office report says.

    CNN reached out to the hospital for comment about why staff notified police. Maureen Richmond, vice president of integrated communications at Mercy Health – a Catholic health care system that includes St. Joseph Warren Hospital – sent the following statement to CNN:

    “The safety and security of every patient who comes to us for care is our highest priority. Out of respect for patient privacy, we will not discuss individual specifics of care.

    Except when it comes to snitching on people.