Mother jailed in England for medicated abortion later in pregnancy

By BRIAN MELLEY
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — A 44-year-old mother of three has been sentenced to more than two years in an English prison for medically inducing an abortion about eight months into her pregnancy. A judge on Monday called it a tragic case that required balancing the woman’s reproductive rights with the rights of her fetus. The woman lied to a pregnancy counseling service to get the medication. She was 32 to 34 weeks along when she induced her miscarriage using medication intended for the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. Women’s advocates say the sentence was too harsh and are calling for an end to the criminalization of abortion.