An Indiana woman became the first to be convicted of feticide, which is the act of causing death to a fetus and neglect.
NBC News reported that on Monday, Purvi Patel, 33, was sentenced to 20 years behind bars for violating the state’s 1979 feticide law. She was given a 30-year-sentence for child neglect. However, the extra 10 years was suspended and six years for killing the fetus will be served concurrently.
VOX noted that according to court documents, Patel showed up at an emergency room in 2013 bleeding with a protruding umbilical cord. She told doctors at the time that she had miscarried and placed the stillborn fetus in a dumpster.
She later told investigators that she wanted to hide the pregnancy from her strict parents.
Patel’s conviction has sparked a public debate about feticide laws in the U.S.
"What this conviction means is that anti-abortion laws will be used to punish pregnant woman," said Lynn Paltrow, Executive Director for National Advocates for Pregnant Women.
Currently, 38 states have laws prohibiting fetal homicide.