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Pregnant U.S. Marine Found Slain: Child Has no Legal Status Under NC Law

By Thaddeus M. Baklinski

JACKSONVILLE, NC, January 16, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The body of 20-year-old pregnant Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, who claimed she was raped by a superior officer last April, has been found by police investigators.

Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown said at a news conference today that investigators on Saturday excavated a fire pit on the property of the prime suspect, Marine Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean, and found what appears to be the charred remains of a female and an unborn child.

Brown said the "fetus was developed enough that the little hand was about the size of my thumb. The little fingers were rolled up. One of the things that will probably stick with me for a long time, and forever, is that little hand, the way those fingers were turned, that had been burned off the arm. That is bizarre. That is tragic. And it's disgusting."

Lauterbach, who worked with Cpl. Laurean, had accused Laurean of raping her last spring.

Lauterbach disappeared from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where she was stationed, shortly before she was to testify at a military hearing about her rape accusation against Laurean.

Lauterbach's mother, Mary Lauterbach, reported her as missing on December 19, 2007. Authorities believe Maria, who was eight months pregnant at the time of her disappearance, was killed on or about December 15.

As reported previously by LifeSiteNews.com, even though the U.S. government passed the Unborn Victims of Violence Act (H.R. 1997) in 2004, recognizing the unborn child as second victim of violent crimes, the state of North Carolina has not passed this Act into their own legislation, so Maria's child has no status under state law.

A media release published Monday by Executive Director of Women for Women's Health, Marie-Christine Houle, states: "This latest tragedy affecting our neighbours to the South comes a week after the death of Joanne Nadine Hoeppner, a 28 year old pregnant woman from Winnipeg. The Canadian woman was also 8 months pregnant."

"It is alarming to witness the passivity of governments in face of such tragedies. The case of Maria Frances Lauterbach, who was raped and chose to keep her child, should serve as a wake up call to governments from around the world who have yet to put in place a law to protect unborn victims of crime. She died as a result of her desire to bring her child into the world. I certainly hope the Canadian parliamentarians will realize how much damage is being done to our society when its own government refuses to protect the lives of women who have chosen to become mothers" she said.

Women for Women's Health has been working with families who have suffered the consequences of the current, yet archaic, Canadian law, which does not allow the perpetrator of a crime to be prosecuted for injuring or killing an unborn child after an attack on the mother. "This is an opportunity for the Harper government to be truly tough on crime" said Miss Houle.
 
On November 21st, 2007, Conservative MP Ken Epp introduced Bill C-484 (Unborn Victims of Crime). The proposed legislation which would make it a separate offence to injure or kill a child if the mother is attacked is being debated in the House of Commons. "Our hope is that Canadian citizens will take the time to phone their MP to demonstrate support for this very important piece of legislation" added Miss Houle. "It is truly about protecting a woman's choice to carry her child to term and making Canada a just society" she concluded.

A petition directed to the government of Canada regarding the up-coming vote on the Unborn Victims of Crime Bill (C484) is available here: http://www.unheardinfo.com

Previous LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Women's Health Group Urges Readers to Sign Unborn Victims of Crimes Bill Petition
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jan/08010902.html

U.S. House Passes Bill to Recognize Unborn Child as Second Victim of Violent Crimes
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/feb/04022603.html

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