Nicola Packer Acquitted in Abortion Medication Case

Nicola Packer, 45, was acquitted by a jury at Isleworth Crown Court of illegally administering abortion pills at home during the second coronavirus lockdown in November 2020, when she was about 26 weeks pregnant. She obtained the prescribed mifepristone and misoprostol through a remote consultation, under emergency pandemic legislation that allowed home abortions up to 10 weeks’ gestation. Prosecutors argued Packer knew she was past the legal limit, but she denied this and the jury found her not guilty. The legal limit for abortion in England, Scotland, and Wales is generally 24 weeks, with exceptions in certain cases. Packer was visibly emotional and was supported by friends and family in court. Her defense stressed the traumatic circumstances and argued that while the situation was tragic, it was not a crime.