by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 26, 2005
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A New Jersey abortion practitioner
may have contaminated a local river when he improperly disposed of "medical
waste" -- the dead bodies of those unborn children who died from
abortions.
Flavius Moses Thompson, owner of the Pleasant Women's Pavilion abortion facility, has been charged with flushing the bodies of the babies down a toilet. Now, investigators are examining whether the Metedeconk River may have been contaminated as a result.
Earlier this month, Thompson was charged by local authorities with operating an abortion business without a license to store or process medical waste.
The so-called waste is normally treated at a plant before it is discharged into the Metedeconk.
"During our investigation we found that medical waste material was being improperly disposed of down the sanitary sewer at that location," Detective Lawrence Doyle, the investigating officer, told the Tri-Town News. "He also has a facility in Barnegat, but we have no suspicion that any further illegal activity is going on at that location at this time."
Thompson was charged with illegal storage of Class 4 medical waste since his license had expired. He was also charged with violating the Clear Water Act for disposing the bodies of the aborted babies into the city's sewer system.
Thompson could be sentenced from three to five years in prison and be assessed monetary fines.
Doyle told the Tri-Town News that police are still working the state Attorney General's office to determine whether Thompson can still operate the abortion facility.
Doyle charged Thompson with the crimes just days after his receptionist, Liza Berdiel, was charged with three counts of performing abortions without a medical license, theft and forgery.
Berdiel had injected three women with abortion drugs while Thompson was gone or during non-business hours. She also stole prescription pads from Thompson and wrote illegal prescriptions.
Thompson had alerted police to Berdiel's actions, when he noticed abortion drugs missing. He told officials he was worried she was pocketing the money for the abortions.
Doyle did not say whether any of the women suffered complications as a result of the abortions.
