Tulsa abortion lawsuit ready for trial next week

Tulsa Police call it a homicide. The medical examiner says it was an illegal abortion gone terribly wrong. <br/><br/>The Tulsa County DA has not filed charges in the death of a premature baby boy, who

Friday, July 2nd 2004, 5:44 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa Police call it a homicide. The medical examiner says it was an illegal abortion gone terribly wrong.

The Tulsa County DA has not filed charges in the death of a premature baby boy, who died in a Tulsa hospital.

A 17-year-old girl was admitted to Hillcrest hospital in May 2002 with a severe rupture when she was about 6 months pregnant. Two days later, she delivered a baby boy who died in her arms. The Medical Examiner determined there were sharp and semi-sharp injuries to the baby's face and scalp, and the wounds had begun to heal.

The Medical Examiner's office suggested someone tried to perform an illegal abortion. Tulsa Police Child Crisis Unit Sgt Whitney Allen: "She initially reported that she'd been abducted and raped, which later on she stated that she had been untruthful with officers and what she told us was not what had happened."

The case is going to trial next week, but in civil court, not criminal court. The mother is suing, saying the hospital didn't do enough to try to save her baby.