Change.org: Pregnant woman attempts suicide, is charged with murder.

[pnwmom]

Here's information and a petition to the prosecutor at Change.org

http://www.change.org/petitions/protect-pregnant-women-free-bei-bei

Numerous organizations and leaders who identify themselves as “pro-life” have assured the public that state murder and feticide laws that create special penalties for harming fetuses would not result in the arrests of pregnant women. Terry Curry, the Marion County Prosecutor, however is using these laws as the basis for arresting pregnant women who take any intentional action that could harm the fertilized eggs, embryos, or fetuses inside of them.

In 2010, Bei Bei Shuai, a pregnant woman living in Indiana became so depressed that she attempted to end her own life. With help from friends who intervened, however, she survived. Although Ms. Shuai did everything she could, including undergoing cesarean surgery, to ensure that her baby survived, her newborn died shortly after birth.

Ms. Shuai was arrested for the crime of murder (defined to include viable fetuses) and feticide (defined to include ending a human pregnancy at any stage). The sentence for murder can be the death penalty or 45 years-to-life. The sentence for attempted feticide is up to 20 years. Both of these kinds of laws are promoted and supported by “pro-life” organizations.

Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life has said that the “pro-life movement is not out to punish women.” Yet, as of March 14th Ms. Shuai, will have been imprisoned and punished for an entire year. (Bail is not allowed when the charge is murder).

Indiana’s murder and feticide statutes were passed in response to violent attacks on pregnant women and with the promise that they would be used to protect pregnant women and the fetuses they carry from such assaults. Instead, in a blatant bait and switch maneuver these laws are being used to lock-up pregnant women.

SNIP

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http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/mar/08/defense-seeks-dismissal-of-ind-fetal-murder-case/


INDIANAPOLIS — A lawyer for a woman charged with murdering her infant because she ate rat poison while pregnant says records clearly show that the Indiana law she's charged under was only meant to apply to people who attack pregnant women, not the women themselves.

SNIP

Shuai, a Chinese immigrant from Shanghai, was eight months pregnant and heartbroken after a breakup when she ate rat poison in December 2010. She was hospitalized and doctors detected little wrong with the fetus' health for the first few days.

Shuai, 36, gave birth to Angel Shuai on Dec. 31. Three days later, the baby died from bleeding in the brain. Medical staff reported her to the police; her lawyers said it was a suicide attempt. In March 2011, after Shuai was released from treatment for depression, prosecutors charged her with murder and feticide. Her trial is scheduled to start April 22.

SNIP

Last week, prosecutors ask the judge to restrict Shuai's attorneys from questioning witnesses in ways that might elicit sympathy for her. A friend previously testified that Shuai wept as her three-day-old daughter died in her arms after she was removed from life support.

[RKP5637]

1. If only people could get help when they need it ... decisions during desperation are

usually pretty bleak.

[Control-Z]

2. A petition on change.org urging the state to drop the charges against Shuai has nearly 11,000

Shuai has nearly 11,000 signatures.

"This case aims to set a precedent that reduces pregnant women to walking wombs under total state control and surveillance at all times, subject to getting thrown in jail if for whatever reason we can't or don't obey," said Brooke M. Beloso, an assistant professor in gender studies at Butler University in Indianapolis who started the petition."

Petition to drop charges here: http://www.change.org/petitions/protect-pregnant-women-free-bei-bei

[annabanana]

11. Thank you so much for the link . . signed. . . n/t

[Control-Z]

16. I hope more people see it

and sign it.

Thanks for signing it.

[LittleBlue]

3. Utterly ridiculous decision

Suicidal behavior is a mental illness until some right wing fundie crap politicizes the incident, then it's murder

[smirkymonkey]

4. This is fu**ed. The woman needs help, not condemnation nor penalization.

For god's sake someone please put the rational hat on please.

[shenmue]

5. Very sad

One of so many reasons we need to improve care for the depressed.

[Kalidurga]

6. I took a trip in the way back machine...

Back to when pregnant women could be attacked and lose their baby and there were no additional charges. It was a very sad situation to me. But, many progressives said that if women were given that protection for their babies it would lead to this kind of situation. I didn't get it the situations seem completely different to me. In one a woman has made a decision about her life to end it an unfortunate side effect was the loss of her baby. In the other where a woman is attacked she presumably had no desire to lose her baby it was taken.

In any case people that warned against these laws to protect women who do want to carry their child to term, were called monsters. They were asked how can you be so callous toward women who want their child? Now I am thinking those people who will charge women with murder for losing a child for whatever reason are the monsters.

[cali]

7. This case is so outrageous. I can't say what I'd like to see happen to the prosecutor

who decided to charge this poor woman. rat poison might figure into it.

This case should have been thrown out a year ago.

[JRLeft]

8. You know religion is a factor.

[Snake Plissken]

9. We're wasting billions fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, while ignoring our very own Taliban

I'm surprised they haven't called to stone her to death yet.

[BlueJazz]

10. Those idiots would probably give her the death penalty.

[annabanana]

12. Oh man.. Kick the HELL out of this... all night. . .n/t

[drm604]

13. K&R

[stuntcat]

14. k&r

I'll go sign the change.org thing

[OldDem2012]

15. The ultimate Catch-22. Very sad. nt.

[fortyfeetunder]

17. All I can do is smh.

Where was the help for that woman when she needed it? Another condemnation of the scarcity of behavioural health care in this country.

[Th1onein]

18. Thanks for posting this. I am anti-abortion, pro-life, but even I think this is crap.

And I just signed the petition.

[pnwmom]

19. Thanks. What those idiots don't understand is that these laws would encourage abortion

in many cases. The laws are also being used to prosecute women who've used drugs during pregnancy. So if a woman took drugs during her pregnancy, she'd be much better off having an abortion in the first six months than continuing with a pregnancy -- knowing that if she had a stillbirth or damaged her fetus, she could be held criminally responsible and sent to prison for decades.

[davidpdx]

20. Signed and post on Facebook

I very much want to keep track of what is going on with her case. Based on the little bit I read I fear if she goes to trial she'll be convicted.

Someone needs to post the number for the prosecutor's office and organize a call in day where we just tie up their phone lines all day from open to close leaving messages asking for the charges against her to be dropped. I'm in South Korea and I'd be happy to call.