Woman charged with murder over 'self-induced abortion' that violates strict law

dailystar.co.uk:

Unilad. It is understood Lizelle was arrested after sharing information with hospital staff after suffering a miscarriage.Lizelle remains in custody in Rio Grande City's Starr County Jail with bond set at $500,000 (£384,000).The Guardian reports that the Starr County Sheriff's Office hasn't said which law the woman has been charged under and that no further information would be released until next week.

Texas has the most restrictive abortion legislation in the US after the Senate Bill 8 law passed and came into effect in September 2021.

The law criminalises having an abortion or assisting with one in any way after fetal cardiac activity is detected, which is usually around the six-week mark.It also allows private citizens to sue anyone involved with an illegal abortion, and the person who sues could pocket at least $10,000 if they win, reports the Texas Tribune.

Lizelle's arrest has sparked angry protests from women's rights groups. The La Frontera Fund, an abortion care group in Rio Grande Valley, organised a protest outside Starr County Jail on Saturday, April 9, demanding Lizelle's release, reports The Independent.To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.Speaking to Texas Public Radio, the group's founder Rockie Gonzalez said: “What is alleged is that she was in the hospital and had a miscarriage and divulged some information to hospital staff, who then reported her to the police.“We don’t yet know all the details surrounding this tragic event, what we do know is that criminalising pregnant people’s choices or pregnancy outcomes, which the state of Texas has done, takes away people’s autonomy over their own bodies, and leaves them with no safe options when they.