A woman from the US state of Nebraska, Jessica Burgess, has been sentenced to two years in prison for assisting her teenage daughter procure abortion pills.
The charges against Burgess and her daughter, as reported by The New York Times, stemmed from their collaborative efforts to terminate Celeste Burgess’ pregnancy last year.
The prosecutors, according to report, revealed that Jessica Burgess ordered the abortion pills online and then gave them to her 17-year-old daughter, who was in the third trimester of her pregnancy at the time.
Subsequently, authorities disclosed that the Burgesses later buried the fetal remains.
However, investigation into the case began in April 2022, when concerns arose regarding Celeste Burgess prematurely giving birth to a stillborn child, which was subsequently alleged to have been buried.
Earlier in July, Celeste was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to charges related to the removal or concealing of human skeletal remains.
In the same month, Jessica Burgess also pleaded guilty, admitting to violating Nebraska’s abortion law, furnishing false information to a law enforcement officer, and removing or concealing human skeletal remains.
During Jessica’s sentencing, Celeste, who was released earlier, was present in the courtroom and visibly emotional, wiping away tears as her mother’s fate was determined, according to The Norfolk Daily News.
Despite a request by Jessica Burgess’ lawyer for probation, the judge denied it, stating that she had treated the fetal remains ‘like yesterday’s trash’.
The 42-year-old mother faced five charges, including one under a 2010 law that permits abortion only up to 20 weeks after fertilization.
It’s worth noting that the investigation into the Burgesses had begun before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. However, their case and subsequent convictions have raised concerns about potential prosecutions of women and their supporters for abortion-related matters following this landmark reversal.
