Prosecutor Group Clarifies That Women Shouldn’t Actually Call the Cops After a Miscarriage
A professional group is doing damage control after a West Virginia attorney suggested women self-report their pregnancy losses.
Photo: Screenshot AbortionPolitics
Days after a West Virginia prosecutor suggested that women who experience miscarriages should call the police to avoid criminal charges, a professional group is advising people not to do that.
The West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Association said in a Monday news release that comments made by Raleigh County prosecutor Tom Truman do not reflect its official position or interpretation of state law. “The WVPAA wants to make abundantly clear that any assertion that individuals who experience the unfortunate event of a miscarriage in West Virginia should be notifying law enforcement or face potential criminal prosecution is incorrect and not supported by West Virginia law,” the organization said.
The WVPAA felt the need to make this statement after Truman spoke to both local and national news outlets last week about potential criminal charges following miscarriages in the state, which bans almost all abortions. The ban exempts pregnant women from criminal charges, but Truman explained that some West Virginia prosecutors could, if they chose, charge people who experience pregnancy loss under state laws regarding the disposal of human remains. He said that, while he personally did not support pressing such charges, his colleagues might consider the intent of women and pregnant people, as well as the gestation when they lose their pregnancy. He went so far as to suggest that people self-report their miscarriages to try to prevent charges: “Call your doctor. Call law enforcement, or 911, and just say, ‘I miscarried. I want you to know.'”