"After 10 days of deliberations, a Philadelphia, Pa., jury convicted abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell on Monday of three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of three
infants born alive at his medical clinic. He was also pronounced guilty
of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Karnamaya Mongar, a
41-year-old refugee from Bhutan who died after having an abortion at his
clinic.
Gosnell was also pronounced guilty of 16 counts of violating the
state's informed consent requirements, and guilty of 21 counts of
performing abortions after 24 weeks of gestation, the legal limit in
Pennsylvania.
Gosnell, 72, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder for
allegedly cutting the spinal cords of third-term babies he delivered
alive. He also faced one count of third-degree murder in the death of
Mongar, and more than 200 other charges related to racketeering,
performing illegal late-term abortions, and failing to comply with
Pennsylvania's 24-hour waiting period requirement for abortions.
Abortion rights advocates applauded the verdict and said the Gosnell
case highlights the need for access to safe, high quality, and legal
abortion. Gosnell ran a medical clinic in West Philadelphia that catered
mostly to poor, minority women. The clinic was shuttered after
authorities raided it and discovered what the prosecution in the case
characterized as a 'house of horrors'
'Justice was served to Kermit Gosnell today, and he will pay the
price for the atrocities he committed,' said Ilyse Hogue, president of
NARAL Pro-Choice America. 'We hope that the lessons of the trial do not
fade with the verdict. Anti-choice politicians, and their unrelenting
efforts to deny women access to safe and legal abortion care, will only
drive more women to back-alley butchers like Kermit Gosnell. From the lack of funding available for low-income women to access
abortion services, to the sharp decline of reputable providers in
Pennsylvania, to the gross negligence of authorities to enforce the law
after complaints were filed against Gosnell, each aspect of this case
must be a teachable moment for lawmakers: Until we reject the
politicization of women's medical care and leave these decisions where
they belong -- between a woman and her family and her doctor -- women
will never be safe.'"
via The Huffington Post
