Child's Death Blamed on Unlicensed Staff
Lawsuit Filed for Infant Born Alive, Killed and Hidden from Police
Feb 3, 2009
It’s claimed that a child was born alive after a failed abortion before being murdered by the clinic’s owner, Belkis Gonzalez. Sued for unlicensed and unauthorized medical practice, mishandled abortions, evasive tactics, false medical records and the killing, hiding and disposing of the infant's body are thirteen defendants. Those defendants include Gonzalez, Dr. Pierre Jean-Jacques Renelique and their conglomerate of four South Florida abortion clinics, the Thomas More Society reported to LifeSite.com.
A Woman's Trauma
Sycloria Williams, Shanice’s mother, discovered her pregnancy when abdominal pain and bleeding sent her to the hospital. Williams was referred to Dr. Pierre Jean-Jacque Renelique at the Miramar Woman Center in Miramar, Fla. Dr. Renelique administered laminaria to dilate the cervix and prescribed additional medication for the evening in preparation for an abortion to take place the next morning.
Arriving at the clinic, Williams was ill and in severe pain. Although no licensed health care professionals were present, the receptionist administered Cytotec to Williams, which induces labor and dilates the cervix. Testimony revealed that Williams’ condition worsened and she was left sitting for hours in a recovery room without medical attention.
Williams delivered a live baby girl. Stunned, Williams watched as Gonzalez ran into the room, cut the umbilical cord and put the newborn into a chlorine bleach-filled red biohazard bag before disposing of it into a waste can, according to World Net Daily. Williams needed sedation, which the doctor gave her when he later arrived. The doctor’s medical records failed to note delivery of a live baby.
Police Notified Anonymously
The police were notified several times by anonymous callers, possibly clinic employees. Police found medical records, but were unable to locate the child’s remains. Six days later, another anonymous caller told police the baby’s body had been hidden on the roof, but was gone by the time the police responded. Yet another anonymous call led the police to get a final search warrant where they discovered the infant’s decomposing body in a cardboard box in a clinic closet, a full nine days after birth. DNA linked the baby’s remains to Williams. Police and the coroner had ordered the clinic closed while their investigation determined whether any criminal charges would be filed.
"In 24 years in law enforcement, I have never seen a case like this," Hialeah Det. Tony Rodriguez told reporters, said WND.
Cause of Death Debated
An autopsy by the Miami-Dade County medical examiner proved the baby was born alive based on the finding that the lungs had been filled with air before her killing. The examiner cited cause of death as “extreme prematurity,” disregarding the eyewitness account that the baby had been killed. The Miami Herald quoted a local law school professor as saying that “unless an infant could be proved to be 'viable' – able to live on her own – her killing could not be condemned as 'homicide' or otherwise culpable as a matter of law," stated the Thomas More Society, who then took interest in the case.
Thomas More Society's Declaration
“That opinion is dead wrong,” said Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society. “A disabled or dying patient may not be ‘viable’ in the sense of being able to live very long or without help, but if you kill them, it’s murder. This was a case of infanticide, and we’re not going to let it go ignored or unpunished.”
The Society retained an investigator and expert pathologist who after examination of the evidence concluded that the acts and omissions of the doctor and clinic staff were causative factors in the death of Shanice Osbourne, whose funeral took place in October of 2008. The matter has been under investigation for more than two years. The Thomas More Society says the case should be a clear case of criminal murder, or at least, manslaughter.
“This case will trumpet to the world that abortion clinics are places of barbarism where mothers as well as their babies are at serious risk,” said Brejcha. “Moreover, this case should put some sharp teeth into the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. As we struggle to end the scourge of legal abortion in this country, we must hold the line against infanticide!”
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