No. Carolina group wants unborn child homicide law

No. Carolina group wants unborn child homicide law

A North Carolina pro-life group is working to help pass a law that would recognize an unborn child as a separate victim of a homicide when the mother is killed.

North Carolina is one of only 14 states that does not have an unborn child homicide law. Barbara Holt, president of North Carolina Right to Life, says a powerful pro-abortion lobby has prevented the state from passing a law that would make killing a pregnant woman a double homicide.

"It's important that North Carolina does recognize the unborn child as a second victim," Holt shares, "because we've had numerous murders in North Carolina where the unborn child had died, and family members are very upset that there are two funerals, two autopsies, two death certificates -- yet our state only recognizes one victim."

North Carolina law currently enhances the felony charge against an assailant if a crime against a pregnant woman -- including domestic violence -- leads to a miscarriage or stillbirth.

The Unborn Victims of Violence measure (House Bill 263), which would make the death of an unborn child a separate crime, did not meet the deadline to be heard this legislative session in Raleigh. Holt contends that one of the reasons the Tar Heel State has not passed such a bill is that pro-abortion advocates claim it would erode a woman's so-called "right" to end the life of her child through abortion.

But supporters of H.B. 263 tell WRAL-TV the issue has nothing to do with abortion. "Abortion is the mother's decision," said one supporter. "I want this for when this is not the mother's decision."