A man is suing three women who allegedly helped his ex-wife get abortion pills. (Representative)
Houston, United States:
In the first test of a Texas law that bans nearly all abortions, a man is suing three women he says helped his ex-wife obtain abortion pills to end a pregnancy.
The civil lawsuit by Marcus Silva relies on a 2022 law that allows anyone to bring wrongful-death lawsuits against someone who helped them get an abortion.
The women who allegedly helped provide the pills — which the suit says were “used to murder Baby Silva” — could each face fines of more than $1 million.
The lawsuit, filed in district court in Galveston County, is the first to be brought under Texas law since the Supreme Court last June in the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which had long upheld abortion rights.
It comes as conservative states across the country have outright banned abortion or sharply decriminalized it — prompting abortion rights activists to ramp up efforts to send abortion pills to states with tighter restrictions.
Jonathan Mitchell, one of Silva’s attorneys, helped design the novel Texas law, according to the Washington Post.
In the lawsuit, Silva alleged that while they were still married, his wife became pregnant in July 2022 but kept it a secret.
The complaint states that two of the defendants used text messages to tell Silva’s wife where she could obtain abortion pills, while a third arranged for their delivery.
“You can get them from us or you can order some online,” read a message.
A woman identified as Silva’s ex-wife replied, “Your help means the world to me.”
Under Texas law and similar laws in other states, women seeking abortions themselves do not face civil or criminal liability.
Silva recently divorced.
The complaint states that Marcus Silva plans to sue the manufacturer of the mifepristone pill he allegedly used.
Anyone who manufactures or distributes abortion pills, including major drugstores such as CVS and Walgreens, “will be sued,” one of Silva’s lawyers said in a press release.
Silva’s lawsuit comes days after five women in Travis County, Texas, sued the state, saying they were denied abortions despite having dangerous or nonviable pregnancies. He said that they have been “denied dignified treatment as equal human beings.”
Texas now allows abortion only if the mother’s life is in danger.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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