Ohio woman who miscarried on home toilet is not criminally liable, grand jury says

By JULIE CARR SMYTH
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio woman who miscarried on a home toilet then left the house will not be criminally charged for her handling of a home miscarriage. The Trumbull County prosecutor’s office said Thursday that a grand jury declined to charge 34-year-old Brittany Watts with felony corpse abuse. Watts’ case sparked a national firestorm over the legal risks pregnant women face as states across the country hash out new laws governing reproductive health care access. Police said Watts miscarried, flushed and scooped out the toilet, then left the house, leaving her 22-week-old fetus lodged in the pipes. Watts’ attorney says Watts was demonized for a common natural occurrence.