A man and a woman have been accused of illegally aborting a kid and hiding the child’s birth.
Elliot Benham, of Wingfield, Swindon, and Sophie Harvey, of St Mary’s Road, Cirencester. They were also charged with improperly dumping the body of a newborn.
In September 2020, locations in Swindon and Cirencester were searched as part of the inquiry.
According to the Gloucestershire Police, the alleged offenses occurred between September 1 and December 1, 2018.
The couple, both 23 years old, was accused with:
- Contrary to section 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Procuring a poison or noxious substance causes a miscarriage.
- Contravention of Section 60 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 by concealing the birth of a child.
- Disposing of a baby’s body with the purpose to corrupt the course of public justice. In violation of the common law
Officers reported that Ms. Harvey was additionally charged with procuring her miscarriage by poison/instrument. In violation of Section 58 of the Offenses Against the Person Act of 1870.
In England, abortions are lawful up to 24 weeks of gestation if performed by a licensed physician. And are only permitted after 24 weeks in extremely limited circumstances.
Under the Offenses Against the Person Act of 1861, attempting to induce your abortion is a criminal offense.
A police spokeswoman stated, “it is alleged in this case that the pregnancy lasted longer than 24 weeks. And was not performed by a licensed physician.”
The man and woman have been freed on bail and are scheduled to appear on Thursday at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court.
