An interesting moral question

[gridlore]

Woman charged with murder after allegedly ignoring warnings to have Caesarean

A pregnant woman who allegedly ignored medical warnings to have a Caesarean section to save her twins was charged Thursday with murder after one of the babies was stillborn.

OK, I'm a strong supporter of abortion rights. My opinion is that until that child is born, it is the mother's choice on what happens to her body. Even so, I've set myself a "moral limit." Once the fetus is viable, it's too late. If you can't make up your mind in before that point, it's simply too late.

Now, what burns me about this case is the woman refusing a C-section because she didn't want the scars. Utterly shallow. Makes me want to slap her.

But I question the murder charge. In Utah, murder can be charged for harming or killing a fetus except in cases of abortion. The law has been used to prosecute women who take drugs while pregnant, for example. But here? Let's be clear. A C-section is am invasive medical procedure, surgery, that carries all the risks of surgery. Should it be a crime to refuse surgery for whatever reason? Say that she objected to the surgery on religious grounds.. would the charges even have been filed?

Would you prosecute the case?

Comments

[kengr]

Actually, there seem to be various stories going around. And in the one I saw, the comment about the scar was from a possibly biased source.

I also have to wonder about the quotes that mentioned that she refused to go near a couple of hospitals.

This sounds to me like a person who has issues with the medical profession (be they rational or not).

I'd say we don't have enough info.

[kkarson.livejournal.com]

Yeah, exactly. I've read three different articles on this, and all take the DA's accusation that it was for cosmetic reasons at face value, despite the fact that all the quotes from the women suggest she was more afraid of surgery. But hell, it's easier to get a conviction if you play into the "women who don't sacrifice themselves for their children are lazy, superficial sluts" angle. Liberal media my ass.