Indiana on Monday sentenced a woman to 20 years in prison for feticide and neglect of a dependent, marking the first time in U.S. history that a woman has been charged, convicted and sentenced for committing an act that causes the death of a fetus, NBC News reported. Purvi Patel was effectively sentenced 20 years on a felony neglect charge and a six-year sentence for feticide, to be served concurrently. Reproductive rights activists like Lynn Paltrow, the executive director for National Advocates for Pregnant Women, condemned Patel's sentencing, arguing that "anti-abortion laws will be used to punish pregnant woman." Prosecutors argued that Patel gave birth to a live fetus and charged her with child neglect, while Patel's attorneys contended that she panicked when she realized she was in labor.
