Getty ImagesA man and a woman have been charged with illegally aborting a baby and concealing the birth of a child.
Elliot Benham from Wingfield, Swindon and Sophie Harvey, from St Mary’s Road, Cirencester, were also charged with illegally disposing of a baby’s body.
Locations in Swindon and Cirencester were searched in September 2020 as part of the investigation.
Gloucestershire Police said the offences allegedly took place between 1 September 2018 and 1 December 2018.
The pair, who are both aged 23, were charged with:
- Procuring a poison/ noxious thing to cause a miscarriage, contrary to Section 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861
- Concealment of the birth of a child, contrary to Section 60 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861
- Committing an act with intent to pervert the course of public justice contrary to common law, namely disposing of the body of a baby
Officers said Ms Harvey was separately charged with procuring her own miscarriage by poison/use of instrument, contrary to Section 58 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
In England abortions are legal up to 24 weeks’ gestation if carried out by a registered medical practitioner, and can be carried out after 24 weeks only in very limited circumstances.
The Offences Against the Person Act 1861 states it is a criminal offence to try to cause your own abortion.
A police spokesperson said it was “alleged in this case that the pregnancy was past 24 weeks and was not carried out by a registered medical practitioner”.
The man and the woman have been released on bail and are due to appear at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
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