Anti-abortion activist sentenced to nearly five years for blocking clinic
A woman forced her way into and blocked access to an abortion clinic in the United States in 2020.
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Mundo EUA
An anti-abortion activist has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for blocking access to a family planning clinic in Washington DC, US. The case dates back to 2020 when the woman, identified as Lauren Handy, assaulted a nurse and forced her way into the Surgi-Clinic.
According to the BBC, Handy, now 30, was one of several people convicted of civil rights crimes in connection with the incident.
In 2022, on the same day she was indicted, US authorities found five foetuses in her home, after a tip-off about "biohazard material".
Handy is the leader of the group Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU) and describes herself as a "Catholic anarchist". After the indictment, she denied using force to obstruct reproductive health services, a crime under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
However, she was found guilty in August 2023 and sentenced on Tuesday.
During a sentencing hearing, it was revealed that the woman had booked an appointment at the abortion clinic in October 2020, using a fake ID. When she arrived, she forced her way into the clinic, along with several other people.
The group remained inside the clinic for several hours, live-streaming the blockade on Facebook, while they barricaded the clinic doors with furniture, chains and bike locks.
The woman and eight others were arrested and charged with conspiracy to injure, oppress, threaten and intimidate patients and staff.
Lauren Handy was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, with three years of supervised release.
Read Also: Arizona. Senate 'buries' 1864 law that almost completely banned abortion (Portuguese version)
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