Becky Bell

Background

Bell discovered she was pregnant in 1988. She went to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Indiana seeking an abortion. There she was told that state law required consent from her parents for the procedure and that most minors in her area traveled to Louisville, approximately 100 miles away, to avoid parental disclosure. She also had the option of going before a judge to argue for a waiver of parental consent, but reportedly feared that her parents would find out. Bell reportedly considered having an abortion in Kentucky, carrying to term and placing the baby for adoption, or running away to California.

On a Saturday night in September 1988, Bell left her house, telling her parents that she was going to a party. Her illness worsened over the next few days but she would not seek medical attention. Her parents ultimately forced her to see their family physician, who diagnosed severe pneumonia and had her hospitalized. She died on September 16, 1988, at 17 years old.

Bell's autopsy revealed fetal matter and evidence of infection in her genital tract, but no evidence of internal injury or marks on the cervix. The official cause of death was attributed to septic abortion complicated by pneumonia.{{cite news|title=Foes of Notification Enlist Grim, Dirty Images

Parental consent laws

Following Bell's death, her parents, Bill and Karen Bell, campaigned against parental consent laws, which they blamed for their daughter's death. The Bells worked with the Feminist Majority Foundation, which credited them with helping to turn public opinion against a parental notification law in Oregon. The Bells worked against proposed parental notification laws in Colorado in 1998.

In response to the Bells' lobbying efforts, anti-abortion groups argued that the autopsy showed no signs of trauma or infection in the cervix or uterus (signs of induced abortion) and claimed that Bell most likely died of pneumonia which led to an incomplete miscarriage. In coverage of this debate on 60 Minutes, Morley Safer characterized the anti-abortion movement's response as an attack on "the Bells' motives and the character of their dead daughter". In the 60 Minutes interview, John C. Willke, a retired physician and then-president of the National Right to Life Committee, maintained that Bell had a "normal miscarriage" rather than an induced abortion. Willke claimed support for his view from independent experts, although 60 Minutes found that at least one expert cited by Willke had in fact not reviewed the autopsy and did not feel qualified to comment on it. Willke's opinion was disputed on the program by John Pless, a forensic pathologist associated with Bell's autopsy, who affirmed his finding that she most likely had an illegal abortion.

In media

On August 15, 1992, HBO aired an episode of Lifestories: Families in Crisis based on Bell's death, which was entitled "Public Law 106: The Becky Bell Story". Dina Spybey portrayed Becky Bell, Debra Monk portrayed Karen Bell and Craig Wasson portrayed Bill Bell. Spirit of '73: Rock For Choice is a 1995 compilation album issued by 550 Music/Epic Records. The album was put together by the activist group Feminist Majority and the liner notes state that the proceeds of the album went to supporting the Becky Bell/Rosie Jimenez Campaign "to lift consent laws and federal funding restrictions that are forcing young women to turn to back-alley abortions".

References

References

1. Brotman, Barbara. (April 8, 1990). "Abortion Law Blamed In Death". [[Chicago Tribune]].
2. Frolik, Joe. (September 9, 1990). "Abortion debate shifting: Individuals become symbols in dispute". The Plain Dealer.
3. Dettmer, Jamie. (May 5, 1992). "Abortion's combat zone; Parents".
4. Hewitt, Selina. (1991). "Hodgson v. Minnesota: Chipping away at Roe v. Wade in the Aftermath of Webster". Pepperdine Law Review.
5. Tribe, Laurence. (1992). "Abortion: The Clash of Absolutes". W. W. Norton & Company.
6. Kelly, Morgan. (January 20, 2006). "'THESE LAWS KILL': Notification rule drives girls to back alleys, pro-choice activist says". [[Charleston Gazette]].
7. Derringer, Alan. (July 19, 1992). "Teen's death propels parents into abortion battle". [[Dallas Morning News]].
8. Dettmer, Jamie. (May 5, 1992). "Abortion's combat zone". [[The Times]].
9. Chiang, Harriet. (January 22, 1996). "Indiana Dad in S.F. to Tell How Abortion Law Led to Death". [[San Francisco Chronicle]].
10. Beach, Mark. (September 29, 1991). "Daughter's death leads to an odyssey". [[Lancaster Newspapers, Inc..
11. Carlson, Margaret. (July 9, 1990). "Abortion's Hardest Cases".
12. (August 3, 1990). "Parents of Teen Who Died Fight Consent Laws". Associated Press.
13. Frolik, Joe (September 9, 1990). "Abortion debate shifting: Individuals become symbols in dispute." The Plain Dealer (Plain Dealer Publishing Co). p. 1-A, 14-A.
14. (February 24, 1991). "Becky's Story". [[CBS News]].
15. James, Rich. (June 27, 1990). "New Ruling Rekindles Abortion Debate". [[Post-Tribune (Indiana newspaper).
16. Brotman, Barbara. (April 8, 1990). "Abortion Law Blamed In Death". [[Chicago Tribune]].
17. Lewin, Tamar. (May 28, 1992). "Parental Consent to Abortion: How Enforcement Can Vary". New York Times.
18. Lewin, Tamar. (October 27, 1991). "In Debate on Abortion, 2 Girls Make It Real". [[The New York Times]].
19. Michelman, Kate. (May–June 2006). "When parental involvement laws go wrong". [[The Humanist]].
20. "[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0180065/ Lifestories: Families in Crisis Public Law 106: The Becky Bell Story] {{Webarchive. link. (September 29, 2019 ." ''IMDb.com''. Retrieved January 22, 2007.)