Crossing Continents - Kermit Gosnell: Doctor and Murderer

Download Kermit Gosnell: Doctor and Murderer

Dr Kermit Gosnell had a reputation as the 'abortion doctor of last resort' along the East Coast of the United States - until his arrest in 2010. He regularly performed abortions well past the legal limit of 24 weeks with the help of untrained staff. At least two women died because of the treatment they received at his Philadelphia clinic. He has now been sentenced to three life sentences for the murder of three babies born alive. But authorities only acted against Gosnell when they suspected him of selling prescription medicines. Warnings about the dangers to women and children were ignored. The gruesome story has renewed the abortion debate across the United States. Neal Razzell travels to Philadelphia to find out what went wrong and how his case is being used to change public policy - in ways, some say, will make women less safe. This programme contains some extremely disturbing content. Produced by Smita Patel.

Published on Monday, 5th August 2013.

Available Podcasts from Crossing Continents

Subscribe to Crossing Continents

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Crossing Continents webpage.