Gloucestershire Teen on Trial for Alleged Illegal Abortion
A Gloucestershire teenager, Sophie Harvey, is on trial at Gloucester Crown Court, accused of taking a pill to illegally abort her baby in 2018. Harvey, who was 19 at the time, claimed she suffered a stillbirth and disposed of the baby's remains in a bin at her family home.
Both Harvey and her boyfriend, Elliot Benham, also 19 at the time, had visited a clinic in August 2018 and were informed that Harvey's pregnancy was too advanced (28 weeks and five days) for a lawful termination. The prosecution alleges that following this, the couple obtained a kit containing pills to induce an abortion.
During police interviews, Harvey described feeling overwhelmed and unsupported, ultimately deciding to have the baby. However, she reported giving birth to a stillborn in early September 2018, after experiencing severe pain.
The prosecution accused Harvey of taking one illegal pill from the kit and alleges that both defendants disposed of the baby to conceal this act. Both Harvey and Benham have denied the charges of procuring poison to induce miscarriage and committing an act to pervert the course of justice. However, they have admitted to concealing the birth of a baby.
The trial is ongoing.