Georgia prosecutors pursuing an abortion pill murder charge against a 23-year-old woman have abandoned their flimsy case, in the face of harsh criticism from advocates on both sides of the fence.
Kenlissia Jones had been falsely arrested and jailed three days for the alleged “malice murder” of her fetus via the abortion-inducing drug Cytotec, before being released this week on her own recognizance.
The pill she had taken terminated her 5-month pregnancy but sent her to the emergency room with minor complications, whereupon a social worker reported Jones to police for committing feticide.
Georgia law, however, does not allow for prosecutions of females who undergo abortions or miscarriages; a statutory sticking point which both pro-choice and pro-life representatives helped to clarify for authorities.
Apart from that legal prohibition, the attempted prosecution of Kenlissia Jones for ending her pregnancy after a romantic break-up with the unborn child’s father is still quite unique in America, said the director of Georgia Right To Life, Genevieve Wilson.
"I have been involved in the pro-life movement for well over 20 years and I'm not aware of a situation like this ever," she said. "I'm very surprised by it."
Jones will still stand trial for a related offense, though -- it appears the drug she ordered online is classified as an illegal substance in the United States.
