By Kathleen Gilbert
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, February 23, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – State lawmakers in both the Utah House and Senate have approved a bill that would bring charges of homicide against pregnant women who arrange to have their unborn child killed through illegal methods.
The bill, HB 12, was advanced in response to a local case last May, in which a pregnant teenager allegedly paid a man to kill her unborn child at seven months' gestation by punching her stomach.
The teen was charged with attempted murder but released after a judge concluded her efforts were simply an abortion attempt, despite the illegally late gestational age. Utah law does not provide for a pregnant woman to be charged in the case of an illegal abortion.
The measure now awaits final consideration by Republican Gov. Gary Herbert, who has not said whether he intends to sign it.
Pro-abortion critics lambasted the measure, claiming that the bill “criminalizes miscarriage.” However, Republican Senator Margaret Dayton, a co-sponsor of the bill, pointed out that the legislation addresses the specific instance of women directly procuring the death of their child, outside the legal abortion limits.
“This bill addresses specific cases of people who arrange to have somebody beat them up for the purpose of an abortion,” said Dayton.