The statute, which can lead to reproductive coercion in a state that has banned abortion, has recently gained nationwide attention

The statute, which can lead to reproductive coercion in a state that has banned abortion, has recently gained nationwide attention

At six months pregnant, H decided enough was enough. She had endured years of abuse from her husband and had recently discovered he was also physically violent towards her child. She contacted an attorney to help her get a divorce.

But she was stopped short. Her lawyer told her that she could not finalize a divorce in Missouri because she was pregnant. “I just absolutely felt defeated,” she said. H returned to the house she shared with her abuser, sleeping in her child’s room on the floor and continuing to face violence. On the night before she gave birth, she slept in the most secure room in the house: on the tile floor in the basement, with the family’s dogs.

Under a Missouri statute that has recently gained nationwide attention, every petitioner for divorce is required to disclose their pregnancy status. In practice, experts say, those who are pregnant are barred from legally dissolving their marriage. “The application [of the law] is an outright ban,” said Danielle Drake, attorney at Parks & Drake. When Drake learned her then husband was having an affair, her own divorce stalled because she was pregnant. Two other states have similar laws: Texas and Arkansas.

  • EmperorHenry
    237·
    3 months ago

    at least we have strong free speech laws and quite a few states have good self-defense laws. some good, some great, but there’s a handful of states that are terrible about any kind of self defense that involves killing a home invader

    In quite a few places, you can’t use force to remove a trespasser if they decide to camp on your land.

    • L3mmyW1nks@lemmy.world
      171·
      3 months ago

      Well, who needs bodily autonomy when you can just use slurs without repercussion. I really don’t get why you try to reason with free speech or self defense laws against against this intrusion of your actual freedom.
      Being forced to keep a pregnancy going and then being forced to stay in marriage won’t get better when you can legally say whatever you want or shoot someone trespassing on your land…

    • Paddzr@lemmy.world
      151·
      3 months ago

      Imagine being so delusional, you think those are unique or even worse… Needing those. You fantasise about murdering someone, how about Living in a place where that’s not even a consideration? I don’t have to worry about someone invading my home and having to defend myself. 3rd world countries are safer than your sorry excuse of a nation.

    • Regrettable_incident@lemmy.world
      9·
      3 months ago

      And that’s something else that makes a lot of the world look at America like a backwater shithole. Feeling the need to be able to kill other people - that might be important to many Americans but from the outside looking in it seems ignorant and barbaric.

    • Ragnarok314159@sopuli.xyz
      6·
      3 months ago

      Every state allows lethal force to protect yourself within your home. It’s a GOP talking point lie that states don’t allow you to defend yourself.

    • medgremlin@midwest.social
      3·
      3 months ago

      And yet, many (if not most) women who defend themselves from their abuser with a firearm get convicted on murder charges… mostly in the states you mention as having “good self-defense laws”.

    • Allero@lemmy.today
      3·
      3 months ago

      Imagine that - if someone camps on your land, you can just call the police. They will guide the trespasser out and initiate proceedings.