Two people have been charged with forcibly causing a miscarriage and disposing of a baby’s body.
Elliot Benham and Sophie Harvey, both 23, were arrested following house searches that took place more than two years ago.
They are charged with ‘obtaining a poison/harmful thing to cause a miscarriage’, concealing the birth of a child and disposing of a baby’s body.
The facts are believed to have taken place between September 1, 2018 and December 1, 2018.
The couple’s arrests follow a lengthy investigation by Gloucestershire Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team.
Benham, from Swindon in Wiltshire, and Harvey, from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, both appear at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on 5 January.
The Offenses Against the Person Act 1861 states that it is an offense to attempt to induce your own abortion.
In this case, it is alleged that the pregnancy lasted longer than 24 weeks and was not performed by a registered physician.
In England, abortion is legal up to 24 weeks gestation if performed by a registered physician, and can be performed after 24 weeks in very limited circumstances.
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