Abortion debate: a closer look at the recent jailing of a woman - Uncovered podcast

Harriet Clugston joins Kelly Crichton on the Uncovered podcast to discuss how a woman has been jailed for having a late stage abortion during a covid lockdown

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Freedom of Information requests have revealed police launched dozens of investigations into women they suspected of ending their pregnancies (Image: NationalWorld/Kim Mogg)Freedom of Information requests have revealed police launched dozens of investigations into women they suspected of ending their pregnancies (Image: NationalWorld/Kim Mogg)
Freedom of Information requests have revealed police launched dozens of investigations into women they suspected of ending their pregnancies (Image: NationalWorld/Kim Mogg)

On this episode of Uncovered I am joined by Harriet Clugston, Data and Investigations Editor with National World to talk about the story of a woman who has been sentenced to 28 months in prison for taking abortion pills while over 30 weeks pregnant during the first Covid lockdown.

Harriet tells me about the antiquated laws under which the woman has been prosecuted and how the woman's circumstances had impacted her decision making. We also hear from Emma Milne, a Professor at the University of Durham whose research looks at how the criminal justice system responds when a woman is accused of harming or murdering her foetus. Professor Milne talks about her serious concerns with how these laws are being used and what it could mean for women experiencing crisis pregnancies and others.

You can listen to the podcast in full (above), and subscribe on any platform, including Apple and Spotify.

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