Woman who carried out ‘DIY abortion’ has been given a three month suspended sentence

A 19-year-old who took online abortion pills to terminate her pregnancy has been given a three month suspended sentence.

The woman, who cannot be named, took the abortifacient drug to terminate her 12-week pregnancy was handed a three month suspended prison sentence today at Belfast Crown Court.

She was reported to the police by her two housemates in 2014 after they noticed blood stained clothes and foetal remains in a bin. Police searching the South Belfast house found the remains of a male foetus located in a black bag in the household bin.

The woman was reportedly raising money to travel to England for a termination. After being unable to raise the funds, she was advised by a clinic that two miscarriage inducing drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, were available online.

Misoprostol is combined with mifepristone to cause abortions

Misoprostol is an oral tablet that treats stomach ulcers, and is also used to induce labour. Mifepristone is used to cause an abortion up to seven weeks of pregnancy.

She pleaded guilty to two charges today – procuring her own abortion by using a poison and of supplying a poison with intent to procure a miscarriage.

The court heard as a barrister for the woman said she would “not have found herself before the courts” had she lived in any other region of the UK.

The young woman, now 21, was given a three month sentence, suspended for two years.

Northern Ireland remains the only country in the UK yet to repeal abortion bans.