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A Texas man, Marcus Silva, recently sued three women for allegedly helping his former spouse obtain medication for an abortion while they were still married last year.
As per ABC News, Marcus Silva, who divorced his now ex-wife in February of this year, filed a wrongful death lawsuit on March 9, 2023, claiming that under Texas law procuring abortion medication for his wife was akin to assisting an individual to commit murder.
Silva, who is seeking more than $1 million in damages from each woman in the civil suit, did not name his ex-wife in the case, citing a Texas law that frees individuals who underwent abortions from any liability. However, it should be noted that the women mentioned in the suit have not been charged criminally for the incident.
Marcus Silva is being represented by attorney Jonathan Mitchell, who helped the state of Texas enact a six-week ban on abortion
In the lawsuit, Marcus Silva explained that his now ex-wife discovered she was pregnant in July 2022, a month after a controversial ruling by the supreme court struck down the historic Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion in 1973. Moreover, Texas was among the 13 states to embrace the abortion ban following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
In the lawsuit, Silva claimed that after the laws came into effect, two women shared information with his ex-wife about an abortion medication that could be shipped by mail from an international group called Aid Access.
Silva further stated that the third woman was aided in delivering the medication to his ex-wife. He also cited the alleged text messages exchanged among the women, adding that he will also pursue a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the medication.
Based on multiple reports, Marcus Silva has hired Jonathan Mitchell. The latter is an attorney who, in 2021, helped Texas enact a six-week ban on abortion and helped fight for individuals to sue abortion providers or helpers in Texas courts.
As per ABC News, Wendy Davis, a senior adviser to Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, said in a statement that while the organization was outraged over Silva's lawsuit, they were not surprised.
"Davis also condemned the actions of Governor Greg Abbott and added that the suit is a “direct result of the dangerous policies championed by Governor Greg Abbott and his supporters. It is state-sanctioned harassment and we will not stand for it."
The latest suit was filed in the wake of five women suing the state of Texas earlier this week after they were denied an abortion despite their pregnancy threatening their lives. The women mentioned in the suit have not been charged criminally.
