The life of a Dafne McPherson, a mother in the central Mexican city of San Juan del Rio changed dramatically after she began having abdominal cramps at work. She reported to her employer's nurse, who told her nothing was amiss. But shortly afterwards, in the bathroom, McPherson went into labor. She says she hadn’t even realized that she was pregnant.
McPherson is currently serving a 16-year sentence after she was convicted of homicide for the death of her baby in what she says was a miscarriage. Her case gained national notoriety when court videos surfaced in which the prosecutor described McPherson’s alleged actions as something “not even a dog would do”.
Activists say her trial demonstrates a growing trend in which Mexican prosecutors in conservative parts of Mexico criminalize women who have miscarriages or complicated childbirths by accusing them of intentionally inducing abortion – which remains illegal in much of the country.
“When the authorities started investigating Dafne, it was as an abortion investigation, not a homicide case,” said Karla Michel Salas, a human rights lawyer familiar with McPherson’s case.
The persecution of women who have miscarriages started after Mexico City decriminalized abortion a decade ago. In response, other states introduced further restrictions on women’s reproductive rights. Most of the women charged in such cases are poor and unable to find a competent lawyer to defend them, she added.
Officials in Querétaro – a staunchly Catholic state – said the prosecutor would be sanctioned for his disparaging comments about McPherson, but they stood by the case. More details from the Guardian can be found here.
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