Feticide

Feticide (or foeticide) is an act that causes the death of a fetus.

Etymology

The suffix -icide is added in place of fetus' last syllable. It derives back to occido, a Latin term meaning "to fell or to kill." Other examples include homicide, genocide, infanticide, matricide, and regicide.

Fetal homicide

Laws in the United States

In the U.S., most crimes of violence are covered by state law, not federal law. Thirty-eight (38) states currently recognize the "unborn child" (the term usually used) or fetus as a homicide victim, and twenty-three (23) of those states apply this principle throughout the period of pre-natal development. These laws do not apply to legally induced abortions. Federal and state courts have consistently held that these laws do not contradict the U.S. Supreme Court's rulings on abortion.

In 2004, Congress enacted, and President Bush signed, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which recognizes the "child in utero" as a legal victim if he or she is injured or killed during the commission of any of 68 existing federal crimes of violence. These crimes include some acts that are federal crimes no matter where they occur (e.g., certain acts of terrorism), crimes in federal jurisdictions, crimes within the military system, crimes involving certain federal officials, and other special cases. The law defines "child in utero" as "a member of the species Homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb."