U.S. marine provisioned with abortion pills and subsequently sued by a woman from Texas
In a shocking turn of events, a Texas woman named Liana Davis has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her neighbour, Christopher Cooprider, following an alleged unwanted abortion. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, claims that Cooprider, a U.S. marine stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, impregnated Davis and subsequently provided her with 10 abortion pills without her consent.
The lawsuit alleges that Cooprider obtained the abortion pills from Aid Access, a non-profit organization run by a Dutch physician. Aid Access is known for sending abortion medication by mail to the United States and globally.
The controversy surrounding this case stems from the conflicting laws regarding the mailing of abortion-inducing drugs. While federal law permits it, some states, including Texas, explicitly prohibit such distribution. Aid Access operates by prescribing abortion pills through licensed U.S. clinicians and sending the medication from U.S. pharmacies under telemedicine shield laws in abortion-supportive states. However, Texas has filed lawsuits against individuals and organizations, including Aid Access, for allegedly shipping pills into their jurisdiction.
The lawsuit includes a series of text message exchanges between Davis and Cooprider, beginning on January 31. In these messages, Cooprider is said to have repeatedly requested an abortion, while Davis reiterated her desire to carry the pregnancy to term. Cooprider referred to the unborn baby as a "thing" and a "mistake," while Davis maintained that she was capable of raising the child alongside her three children from a previous marriage.
On February 4, Davis found out she was pregnant. On February 11, Cooprider informed Davis that the abortion pills had arrived. In the text messages, Cooprider reiterated his desire for Davis to "get rid of" the baby, and Davis asked him to use different phrasing.
About 30 minutes later, Davis claims she began hemorrhaging and cramping and knew she needed to seek medical attention, but could not leave her three children who were sleeping upstairs. By April, Davis, now eight weeks pregnant, claims that Cooprider was aware that he was running out of time to convince her to take the pills, which were only effective up until the 10-week mark.
On the night of April 5, Cooprider came to Davis' home with a hot chocolate mix and laced it with the abortion pills. Cooprider left the house after giving Davis the spiked hot chocolate, but stopped responding to messages and calls, leading Davis to realize he had spiked the drink with the abortion pills.
Davis found the open box of pills and a pill bottle and handed them to the Corpus Christi police. The Corpus Christi Police Department did not respond to Global News' request for comment, but told NBC News that there are no active investigations involving Cooprider.
The abortion pill regimen requires the pregnant person to take two different pills 24-48 hours apart. Davis took the first pill on April 6 and the second on April 7. She was hospitalized on April 8 due to severe bleeding and was eventually forced to undergo a surgical abortion to save her life.
The lawsuit seeks damages for the wrongful death of the unborn child, pain and suffering, and other costs. The case is expected to shed light on the complex legal issues surrounding the mailing of abortion-inducing drugs and the role of organizations like Aid Access.
[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/texas-tries-shut-down-aid-access-online-abortion-provider-rcna14050 [2] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-abortion-aidaccess-idUSKBN26S25U [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/16/us/politics/aid-access-abortion-pills.html [4] https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/03/16/aid-access-abortion-pills-texas/ [5] https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/17/aid-access-abortion-pills-texas-lawsuit/
- The controversy over the case involving Liana Davis and Christopher Cooprider has raised questions about the role of health-and-wellness organizations like Aid Access in providing women's health services, such as abortion pills, amidst varying state laws.
- In the debate surrounding the mailing of abortion-inducing drugs, the lawsuit filed by Liana Davis against her neighbor, Christopher Cooprider, highlights the potential risks and consequences when such services are not fully regulated and operated within the bounds of the law, potentially threatening the health of women involved.
