Charges Dropped Against Bethany Cox in Covid Abortion Case
CPS Drops Charges Amid ‘Evidential Difficulties’
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has dropped all charges against 22-year-old accounts adviser Bethany Cox. She was accused of illegally ending her pregnancy during the first Covid lockdown in July 2020. Cox denied taking the abortion pill Misoprostol, and was due to face trial next week.
At Teesside Crown Court, the CPS offered no evidence against her, forcing the court to enter a not-guilty verdict. The prosecution cited “evidential difficulties” for halting the case.
Emotional Toll on Bethany Cox
Cox’s barrister, Nicholas Lumley KC, slammed the CPS, calling the ordeal “beyond regrettable.” He said the young woman consistently maintained her story from the start – in her defence statement and to police immediately after the incident. Lumley revealed the case caused significant emotional distress while she was grieving the loss of her baby.
“The prosecution now accepts what she said to the police must have been right. That is beyond regrettable,” said Lumley.
A psychiatric report confirmed the legal battle had a deep psychological impact on Bethany Cox.
Judge Clears Bethany Cox of All Charges
Judge Paul Watson KC, Recorder of Middlesbrough, officially cleared Cox, directing the not-guilty verdicts to be entered and ending the case.
Pregnancy Advice Service Welcomes Outcome
Rachael Clarke, chief of staff at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, expressed relief that the case ended without trial, calling it “unnecessary and emotionally taxing.”
Context: UK Laws on Home Abortion Pills
It’s important to note the evidential issues here apply only to Miss Cox’s case and don’t impact other abortion prosecutions.
Since August 2018, the UK government has allowed home use of early medical abortion pills, including Misoprostol, in England. Women can take the second of two abortion pills at home, offering more convenience for those seeking early abortion services.
