33 year old Brittany Watts of Warren, OH has been charged with abuse of a corpse after she had a miscarriage in her toilet.
She passed the fetus at 22 weeks while using the restroom and tried to flush it, however when law enforcement was called to her home, they discovered the fetus had clogged the toilet and moved to charge her with abuse of a corpse, which is a 5th degree felony.
It’s important to note that Watts had been to the doctor twice with concerns about her pregnancy before miscarrying and was sent home.
Forensic pathologist Dr. George Sterbenz testified that the fetus had already passed away before Watts’ miscarriage. “This fetus was going to be non-viable. It was going to be non-viable because she had premature ruptured membranes — her water had broken early — and the fetus was too young to be delivered,” Sterbenz said, per the outlet.
Warren Assistant Prosecutor Lewis Guarnieri seems to be more concerned about the way that the fetus was disposed of, not the physical or mental well-being of Watts. “The issue isn’t how the child died, when the child died — it’s the fact that the baby was put into a toilet, large enough to clog up a toilet, left in that toilet, and she went on [with] her day,” Guarnieri said, per the official police report.
He also said that the state did not have to prove viability, citing a section of Ohio Revised Code 2927.01 that reads, “no person, except as authorized by law, shall treat a human corpse in a way that would outrage reasonable community sensibilities.”
Watts’ case will soon be presented to a grand jury, but many women have shared their horror stories of having to dispose of fetuses, that they miscarried via toilet. It is not uncommon at all, and it’s really cruel that there are laws being passed that criminalize unviable pregnancies!
Our prayers are with Britney Watts and her family. This is not fair to her, and we pray that she receives justice! #BWLM💕
