woman sentenced to 8 years for 38-week home abortion

[WokingOnSunshine]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-19621675
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2204471/Mother-Sarah-Catt-terminated-baby-week-date-using-medication.html

I think the issue is that this baby was full term when induced - so there is no evidence that the drugs to induce it killed the baby. If it had indeed been born stillborn she could have told them where the baby was buried and the PM would have given supporting evidence. She chose not to reveal the site.

She was still convicted purely on circumstantial evidence- the only evidence being that she was pregnant at 30 weeks and now there is no sign of a baby, + she bought some drugs on the internet. I honestly can't see how that conviction will hold up on appeal.

That's the thing. Cause of death might implicate her further.

I actually don't think 8 years ( half that for good behaviour?) is enough.

A guilty plea is pretty strong evidence, no?

there was a guilty plea in addition to the circumstantial evidence

Not just circumstantial evidence. She has made admissions. She pleaded guilty.

I just can't think of it as criminal

Really???
What do you think of it as then, Elephants?

Very odd. Surely if she had given a child up for adoption before that would seem preferable to killing it.

Theres just so much that doesnt add up.

Could she have sold the child to clear her debts and needed it born in the period her husband was away so induced it herself?

Duchesse, I think that once a pregnancy is over 24 weeks it is deemed viable. Therefore it doesnt really matter who administered the abortion. Its illegal because that child then has rights.

Duchesse are you actually a criminal lawyer with intimate knowledge of this case...then how to you know that the conviction is on very shaky ground. What do you base this assumption on?

Why isn't it criminal.....i'm not an anti-abortionist but surely it's not hard to go through the proper medical channels if you have an unwanted pregnancy why choose to go down the road she did with such blatant disregard for the life of the unborn baby

Presumably the baby was born alive and a PM would support that, so she hides the burial place so there is no proof, and hence 'only' gets 8 years rather than 15+ for murder.

I wondered about selling the baby too. Doesn't make sense though, with the medication.

Oh it's so sad :(

'Not criminal'?

I can just about see that in relation to procuring the miscarriage, though I don't agree.

But the moment the child was outside her body the situation changed, Elephants. She either failed to report its death and have it properly buried/cremated if it was stillborn, or killed it. Both properly seen as criminal acts.

Sad also for the father, whoever he is, and her existing children who must be so, so confused

Of course it's criminal. At 39 weeks I'm really not sure it can be considered an abortion. Abortion terminates an unwanted pregnancy, this is the death of an almost full term baby.

The drugs she took induce labour, so presumably the baby either died during the birth or was born live.

I think 8 years is fair in those circumstances.

Sounds horrendously reactionist and right winged, but this is one woman who deserves to be locked up until she's past child bearing age... or worse.

Revealing the grave sight would presumably lead to the PM concluding that the child had been born alive. Therefore she would be done for murder.

I can see no other reason for withholding that information.

39 weeks is full term. Anything from 37 is.

Goodness, I find this so very strange.

Part of me thinks she somehow concealed the birth to protect the baby (as is: She didn't have an abortion at all.). But it's just so odd.

And, yet, I find other parts of the story totally believeable. I didn't even know I was PG until I was 22 weeks with DS (and 18weeks with DD) and I didn't show with DS until about 36 weeks. Even then, I would have easily concealed it, should I have wanted to.

It is not against the law to terminate up until birth. I know this. For various reasons, I was offered genetic testing, as there was a chance of a life limiting illness. The testing came through at 36 weeks. I declined. But if I hadn't and a problem at been shown, I would have been allowed to terminate. At least that's how I felt it had been explained. I didn't really listen.

No it's not, but it's illegal under any circumstances for anyone other than a licensed medical practitioner to perform the abortion.

Bloody well should be

my guess is the baby was born alive as that drug does nto kill, it only brings on labour

so either she won't dissclose where she buried the baby, because she doesnt want them to find out she killed it after it was born, or shes given it away, or maybe she didn't actually even bury it

i do feel for this person though, can't understand what sort of despair she must have been in to have done this.

i also find it strange shes been sentaced to 8 years without the police finding the body

rip sweet baby.
or i hope your out there being loved by someone else

Despair? With her history, she could have been given sympathy for despair previously, but should have sorted herself out by now.

What an obstetric history. An adoption, a termination, first child too late for a termination, second child a concealed pregnancy. She must have serious, serious issues.

Terrible case. Hasn't she got two children with her husband though. It is hard to understand this without some kind of mental disorder being involved. No motive to it. Weird.