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A 26-year-old woman in Rock Hill, South Carolina, is facing charges of attempted murder and illegal abortion after police say she took medication to terminate her pregnancy. The case highlights the severe legal consequences women can face in states with restrictive abortion laws and has drawn attention to the criminalization of pregnancy outcomes.
Jocelyn Adalynn Byrum was arrested after she went to a local hospital for medical care. According to the Rock Hill Police Department, Byrum allegedly took abortion-inducing medication when she was approximately 25 weeks pregnant. The infant was subsequently born alive and remains in critical condition. Authorities were notified by the hospital, leading to Byrum's arrest. She is currently being held at the York County Detention Center.
The charges come as South Carolina enforces one of the nation's strictest abortion bans, prohibiting the procedure after embryonic cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks of gestation. While the charge of "illegal abortion" relates to this state law, the attempted murder charge raises complex legal questions about fetal personhood, a subject under intense debate in the state's jurisprudence.
This is not the first time a South Carolina woman has faced homicide-related charges connected to a pregnancy. Earlier in 2024, murder charges were dropped against another woman in Orangeburg County who delivered a stillborn infant prematurely. Legal experts and reproductive rights advocates argue that such prosecutions may deter pregnant people from seeking necessary medical care during obstetric emergencies for fear of criminalization. The legal framework used in these cases often draws from existing fetal homicide laws, which were originally intended to prosecute third parties who harm a pregnant person and their fetus. As details surrounding the Rock Hill woman's case emerge, it is expected to reignite the debate over the scope of abortion laws and their impact on maternal health and criminal justice.
