Jessica Burgess, a woman from Nebraska in the United States accused of helping her teenage daughter in obtaining abortion pills, has been sentenced to a two-year prison term, as reported by the New York Times.
The charges against Burgess and her daughter stemmed from their alleged collaboration to terminate Celeste Burgess’ pregnancy last year. Prosecutors stated that Jessica Burgess had purchased abortion pills online and provided them to her 17-year-old daughter, who was in her third trimester of pregnancy at the time. Additionally, authorities asserted that the Burgess family had later buried the fetal remains.
The investigation into this case began in April 2022 when concerns arose that Celeste Burgess had prematurely given birth to a stillborn child, which was reportedly buried. Subsequently, in July, the daughter pleaded guilty to charges related to the removal or concealment of human skeletal remains and was sentenced to 90 days in jail.
During the same month, Jessica Burgess also pleaded guilty to several charges, including violating Nebraska’s abortion law, providing false information to a law enforcement officer, and removing or concealing human skeletal remains.
Celeste Burgess, who was released from jail earlier this month, was present in the courtroom when her mother received her sentence. According to The Norfolk Daily News, she wiped away tears during the proceedings.
Despite a request from Jessica Burgess’ attorney for a probationary sentence, the judge denied the request, stating that she had treated the fetal remains as “yesterday’s trash.” Jessica Burgess, a 42-year-old mother, faced a total of five charges, including one based on a 2010 law that permits abortions only up to 20 weeks after fertilization.
It’s worth noting that the investigation into the Burgess family began before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. However, this case and the subsequent convictions have raised concerns about the potential prosecution of women and those assisting them with abortions following the landmark reversal.
In August, Facebook’s cooperation with the police investigation also sparked controversy, fuelling fears that the platform could be used as a tool to clamp down on individuals involved in abortion procedures.
AFP
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