Annie Aves

Person

1887 –

90

Who is Annie Aves?

Isabel Annie Aves was a New Zealand abortionist. She was born in Waipawa, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand on 18 March 1887. Aves ran an abortion business from her home and was tried first in Napier where she lived at the time on a charge of "unlawfully using an instrument with intent to procure a miscarriage", but the jury could not agree. Two further trials were held in Wellington, with the juries again failing to agree, amid much publicity. An unusual fourth trial followed, which also resulted in no conviction. Aves was represented by Cyril Harker at the trials in Napier in August 1936, Wellington in October 1936, December 1936 and February 1937 Harker's defense rested on lack of direct evidence; none of the women were gave evidence and the crown prosecutor relied on circumstantial evidence.

Aves method of abortion involved the use of dried Laminaria digitata seaweed stalks called sea-tangle tents which, when inserted into the cervical canal, absorbed water and slowly expanded, dilating the cervix.

In 1938 Aves was shot by Colin Herbert Hercock, the fiancé of a woman she had performed an abortion on, after he was led to believe that his fiancé was going to die as a result of the abortion. Aves died later in hospital; the fiancé survived to give evidence at Hercocks' trial and he was convicted of manslaughter. Cyril Harker defended Hercock, getting him convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter rather than murder and subsequently getting his prison term reduced. Shortly after, Harker was elected as Member of Parliament for the Waipawa electorate.

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Born
Mar 18, 1887

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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