Abortion Practitioner’s Receptionist Charged With Injecting Abortion Drug

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jan 18, 2005   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Abortion Practitioner’s Receptionist Charged With Injecting Abortion Drug Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 18, 2005

Lakewood, NJ (LifeNews.com) — In a clear violation of medical standards and state law, an abortion practitioner’s receptionist has been charged with injecting abortion drugs into three women without her employer’s knowledge.

Liza Berdiel, an employee at the Pleasant Woman’s Pavilion abortion business was charged with three counts of practicing medicine without a license, according to an Associated Press report.

Berdiel was also charged with thee counts of theft by deception for charging each of the women $380 for the illegal abortions, which occurred during November and December 2004.

The abortion facility employee also faces charges related to theft and forgery for using a stolen prescription pad to write an illegal prescription for a patient, AP reorted.

Berdiel was arrested Thursday but released after posting a $20,000 bail. She was working for abortion practitioner Flavius Thompson and performed the abortions after business hours when he was not working.
"She was doing this without the doctor’s knowledge,” Lt. Robert Urie said. “It was something pre-arranged. They may have thought this was under the doctor’s care, but she was doing it during non-office hours, when he was out of the office.”

Thompson has cooperated with authorities and is not being charged in the cases.

Lt. Jeff Harper, a spokesman for Ocean County Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher, told the Associated Press that the women had all sought the abortions.

Harper declined to identify the informant who tipped off police about Berdiel’s actions.

Pro-life groups said the incidents point to the need to further regulate abortion facilities.

" This investigation exposes some of the many abuses that occur daily inside the so-called `safe and legal’ abortion industry,” said Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life.