By Emily Drooby
Many Catholics across New York, heartbroken over a criminal charge that was eliminated in the stabbing death of 35-year-old Jennifer Irigoyen and her unborn child.
Of the elimination, Bill Donohue, the President of the Catholic League, said, “This should be a crime.” Kathleen Gallagher the Director of Pro-Life Activities for New York State Catholic Conference, also weighing in, she said, “It’s horrible, it’s tragic and that woman’s family will never be able to have complete justice.”
Irigoyen was killed in her Ridgewood apartment on the morning of February 3rd. Her boyfriend, Anthony Hobson, has since been arrested and charged in her death. Police say Hobson dragged the victim and allegedly stabbed her multiple times.
According to the Queens District Attorney, Irigoyen, who was 14 weeks pregnant could be heard begging for her unborn baby’s life. The initial charges against Hobson included abortion in the second degree, for causing the death of Irigoyen’s unborn child, but that charge was dropped because of the Reproductive Health Act.
Donohue said, “Well this really puts it under a microscope doesn’t it, what Governor Cuomo did.”
Part of that law, signed by Governor Cuomo at the end of January, removed abortion from the state’s criminal code. Jesuit Father Sam Sawyer has studied the implications closely. He said, “It’s no longer possible for abortion to be a crime whether that’s a case of a medical abortion, an performed by a doctor, or whether it’s the case of a women losing a pregnancy due to violence.”
There currently seems to be confusion over what types of charges could be filed in a case like this.
State Senator Liz Kruger, a sponsor of the law says people can still be charged with first-degree assault in the killing of an unborn child, but that’s not the case with Hobson. Bill Donohue, President of The Catholic League, says there needs to be more clarity on the issue.
Donohue said, “We’ve got to get this thing resolved otherwise we’re just going to have this all the time.”
Donohue asking for a new statue to address this problem.
Hobson is being charged with second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted.