Rita McDowell
Sixteen-year-old Rita was the daughter of Ethel Kennedy's part-time
housekeeper. On March 4, 1975, Robert Sherman performed a safe and legal abortion on
Rita. When Rita was discharged, her mother was informed that she would
probably expel the fetus that night.
Rita did not expel the fetus. Instead, she developed a fever. Her mother
called Sherman's facility on March 5 to seek care for her daughter. She
said that Sherman would not speak to her, and that the receptionist told
her to bring Rita in two days later.
In the early morning hours of March 7, Rita awoke screaming, then collapsed
in her mother's arms. Doctors at the hospital where Rita was taken removed
the fetus, but she died just after midnight on March 8.
An investigation into Rita's death revealed evidence that Sherman deliberately
performed incomplete abortions so that he could charge more for follow-up
care. Sherman was charged with murder in Rita's death, and prosecutors
presented witnesses and evidence that Sherman re-used disposable medical
equipment, failed to perform tests to verify pregnancy, failed to do pathology
examinations of abortion tissues, allowed a nurse's aide to perform surgery,
and falsified medical records.
Sherman claimed to develop heart problems during the murder trial. He
plea-bargained, getting the murder charge dropped in exchange for a guilty
plea on the perjury charges. The prosecutor defended the plea bargain on
the grounds that the felony convictions would block Sherman from ver practicing
medicine again. Sherman served two years in a federal prison, then set
up a legal abortion practice in Boston.
Sources: People, 7/21/82; New
York Times, 10/6/82
Abortion Deaths
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