- By Kamal Kumar
- Thu, 14 Dec 2023 07:02 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Kate Cox Pregnancy Case: US President Joe Biden expressed his strong disapproval, calling it "outrageous" that a woman had to leave Texas for an emergency abortion. This comes after the Texas Supreme Court overturned a decision of a lower court which earlier allowed the pregnant woman to get an emergency abortion against the state's strict abortion ban. The move, led by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, had sparked outrage in the US about women's rights in the state.
"No woman should be forced to go to court or flee her home state just to receive the health care she needs. But that is exactly what happened in Texas thanks to Republican elected officials, and it is simply outrageous," Biden said in a White House statement.
Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two from Dallas, is over 20 weeks pregnant with a fetus diagnosed with a rare genetic defect, full trisomy 18. This condition suggests a high likelihood of the baby dying before birth or surviving only a few days. Doctors had warned that not terminating the pregnancy could lead to a uterine rupture, posing a threat to Cox's future fertility and her life. Due to the stringent abortion laws in Texas, she filed a lawsuit against the state last week. Following legal arguments on whether Cox should have access to the procedure, a judge in Travis County ruled in her favour.
However, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton promptly filed an appeal with the Texas Supreme Court. Paxton also issued a warning to any doctor performing the abortion. On Monday, Cox left the state in search of an emergency abortion, and within hours, the Texas Supreme Court issued an order favouring the government, overturning the lower court's ruling.
"This past week of legal limbo has been hellish for Kate," Nancy Northup, president and CEO at the Center for Reproductive Rights, which filed the case on behalf of Cox, her husband and physician, said at the time.
The US Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion nationwide last year, leaving states free to create their laws around the procedure.
A Texas state "trigger" ban went into immediate effect after the 2022 ruling, prohibiting abortions even in cases of rape or incest. Texas also has a law that allows private citizens to sue anyone who performs or aids an abortion.
Texas physicians found guilty of providing abortions face up to 99 years in prison, fines of up to $100,000 and the revocation of their medical license.
While the state does allow abortions in cases where the mother's life is in danger, physicians have said that in practice the wording is vague and unclear, leaving them open to legal consequences for exercising their medical judgment.
(With inputs from AFP)
