Allison Glass, Healthy and Free TN president, released a statement on the arrest of Anna Yocca of Murfreesboro, TN on charges of attempted first-degree murder for attempting to induce an abortion.

Statement:

"It is sad that any woman would feel that a risky self-induction at home was her best option rather than being able to see a doctor to end her pregnancy. It is a tragic turn of events for all involved and one that we must take action to avoid seeing again in our state.

If news reports are accurate, a woman in 2015 felt that a coat hanger was the answer when faced with an unintended pregnancy. This is shocking! The coat hanger has been a symbol of the days before abortion was legal because women were pushed to take desperate measures when they needed to end a pregnancy - swallowing poisonous household chemicals, seeking services from unlicensed practitioners in back alleys or dirty rooms and yes, using hangers, knitting needles or other objects to try to induce an abortion. And women died - thousands of women died before Roe v. Wade as a result of infection and hemorrhaging. We do not want to go back those days.

This is what can happen when more than half of Tennessee counties do not have access to a provider. This is what can happen when people cannot afford to seek out services because they would have to drive hours and take off work for multiple days to make more than one trip because of medically unnecessary requirements. This is what can happen when their insurance company may not pay for the care they need and they do not know how they will afford to pay for abortion services out of pocket when they may already be struggling to get by. This is what can happen when women who seek abortion are judged and stigmatized and left to feel like they have no one they can turn to. This is what can happen when we have created a climate that criminalizes women rather than ensuring they have access to healthcare and support.

The reports of this case may make people uncomfortable, but the fact is that whether people agree with the decision to seek abortion or not, we should not arrest people because they sought to end their pregnancy and felt like they did not have a safe and licensed option for care. We should support women and eliminate the barriers to care.

This case seems to be a reflection of the political climate we have created in Tennessee and the position in which we have put women."

The actual news story:

A Murfreesboro woman has been charged with "Attempted First Degree Murder" after she allegedly tried to abort her own baby. The incident was said to have taken place in a bathtub filled with warm water.

31-Year old Anna Yocca was indicted by the December Grand Jury on the charge. She was said to be 24-weeks pregnant when she reportedly attempted to abort the child with a coat hanger.

The young baby was saved by doctors after she was taken to the hospital by her boyfriend, but will apparently have a lifetime of medical problems due to damage caused to the child's eyes and lungs. The baby weighed less than two pounds when born.

At this point Yocca remains behind bars at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center in Murfreesboro.

More details:

31-Year old Yocca was taken to St. Thomas Rutherford Medical Center in Murfreesboro by her boyfriend after she became alarmed at the amount of blood in the bathtub. Doctors later transferred Yocca to St. Thomas Mid-Town in Nashville where she could receive more extensive treatment, which is where the 1.5 lb. baby was saved.

Several nurses and doctors told Murfreesboro detectives that Yocca made disturbing statements regarding Baby Yocca and wanting to terminate the pregnancy. Doctors indicated the quality of life for the newborn would be forever harmed. The medical staff said that the child has medical issues with his lungs, eyes and heart due to damage caused by Yocca with the coat hanger.

Source:

MPD ARREST REPORT #15-19815