Illegal abortion anniversary - Vivian Grant

On January 21, 1961, Dr. Mandel M. Friedman contacted a Queens undertaker, asking him to arrange burial for 23-year-old Vivian Grant of New York. Friedman told the undertaker that Vivian had died of a heart ailment. The undertaker notified authorities, who determined that although Vivian had not been pregnant, Friedman had attempted to perform an abortion on her, causing her death. Friedman was charged with homicide and falsifying a death certificate. (Source: New York Times 1-24-61)

So much for how easy it was to cover up an illegal abortion death by simply failing to report it.



For more on pre-legalization abortion, see The Bad Old Days of Abortion

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