A Louisiana grand jury has indicted a New York abortionist who mailed abortion pills to a minor in the pro-life state. The girl needed to seek emergency care due to complications from taking the illegal pills.
According to WAFB, the grand jury is seeking criminal charges against Dr. Margaret Carpenter, her company, Nightingale Medical, and the girl’s mother, who ordered the abortion pills from Carpenter. All three were charged with a felony crime of criminal abortion by means of abortion-inducing drugs. Louisiana prohibits the killing of preborn children by abortion.
Prosecutors say that the girl, whose age has not been released, was excited about her pregnancy before she ended up going through with the abortion.
“She was a minor and … she was excited,” Prosecutor Tony Clayton said. “She had planned a reveal party. She had wanted to have this baby.”
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WBRZ reported that the girl’s mother ordered the chemical abortion drugs and “made her” take them. Coercion is known to play a significant role in abortion, with some studies showing that 64% of post-abortive women experienced pressure to abort. Teens and girls who go through with abortions often reveal they felt pressure from parents or other family members to kill their preborn children.
After taking the abortion pill alone at home, the girl experienced serious complications.
“She called 911 and an ambulance rushed her to the hospital and they were able to save her life,” Clayton said. “Whether you are pro-abortion or against it, the bottom line is some child who wanted her baby now doesn’t have that baby and this doctor has a date with Louisiana, Louisiana justice.”
One reason that many states limit taking the abortion pill without a doctor’s direct oversight is that it is known to be four times more dangerous than a first-trimester surgical abortion. Research carried out by Gynuity, a pro-abortion research institute, has shown that six percent (6%) of women who take the abortion pill will require care at an emergency room or urgent care facility — and that is believed to be a low estimate. When a woman receives the abortion pill via mail, she may have to visit emergency centers if the prescriber is not nearby to see her or direct her care in case of emergency.
Though Carpenter’s actions illegally killed a preborn child and also injured a girl, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has already vowed to defend the abortionist.
“Louisiana is attempting to prosecute a New York doctor for providing reproductive health care,” she said on X. “After Roe was overturned, I signed laws to protect patients & doctors from exactly this type of action. … We will remain a safe harbor.”
Attorney General Liz Murrill responded with a statement. “It is illegal to send abortion pills into this state and it’s illegal to coerce another into having an abortion,” Murrill said. “The allegations in this case have nothing to do with reproductive health care, this is about coercion. This is about forcing somebody to have an abortion who didn’t want one.”
Carpenter is also facing a lawsuit in Texas after she illegally mailed abortion pills to a woman in that state. In that instance, too, the woman experienced complications and needed to receive emergency care.
