A 26-year-old woman was arrested on Thursday April 7 in Texas for performing an illegal abortion. Dozens of people demonstrated outside the prison where she was being held to demand her release.
With our correspondent in Houston, Thomas Harms
This is the first arrest related to the new anti-abortion law in Texas. Lizelle Herrera was arrested in Rio Grande City on Thursday April 7 for murder. The Starr County Sheriff’s Office justifies her arrest because she allegedly ” intentionally and knowingly caused the death of an individual by self-induced abortion “.
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The authorities did not specify whether the young woman had performed an abortion on herself or helped another woman. But according to several sources, Lizelle Herrera, deprived of medical aid and without money to go to another state that receives pregnant women from Texas, decided to intervene herself.
$500,000 bail
Starr County authorities increased his bond to $500,000. A very high bail, equivalent to that of complicity in murder with premeditation. After two nights spent in prison and the support of abortion aid funds, the half-million dollars was collected and the young woman released. Lizelle Herrera must go before the judge who will notify her of her crime within the week.
This arrest comes seven months after the entry into force of the SB8 law. This law gives any US citizen the ability to sue anyone who assists in performing an abortion in Texas after a sound is heard during an ultrasound, that is around six weeks.