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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Shanti Das

Women accused of illegal abortions in England and Wales after miscarriages and stillbirths

Abortion England Wales United States Police Pregnancy MSI Reproductive Choices Observer
A protest in New York against the US supreme court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade
A protest in New York against the US supreme court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, the 1973 case that gave women the constitutional right to an abortion. Photograph: Justin Lane/EPA

Women in England and Wales who have suffered miscarriages or stillbirths are being investigated by police on suspicion of having illegal abortions, with some forced to hand over their phones and laptops for invasive “digital strip searches”.

In one case in 2021, a 15-year-old girl who had an unexplained early stillbirth was subjected to a year-long criminal investigation that saw her text messages and search history examined. Police dropped the case after a coroner concluded the pregnancy ended because of natural causes.

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