A woman was arrested in the US state of Wyoming for setting fire to an abortion clinic that was scheduled to open a few days later, state authorities said in a statement on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old woman was arrested Tuesday thanks in part to tips authorities received after offering a $10,000 reward for information on the case.
Agents from the FBI, Casper Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) participated in the arrest, according to the brief issued today by the US Attorney’s office. for Wyoming.
The arrested woman faces a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years, if she is finally convicted. There were no injuries in the fire.
The event took place in May 2022, a few days before the scheduled opening of the Wellspring Health Access clinic in the town of Casper, Wyoming. On its website, Wellspring explains that its mission is to bring abortion access to places where there are no other clinics that provide it.
The center, in fact, was going to be the first to offer abortion services in the town, but its opening was postponed after the incident and, for the moment, it has not been able to open.
Even so, the website ensures that those responsible "they plan to open soon". Among its services, Wellspring also offers gender affirming care.
Wyoming became the first US state to specifically ban the abortion pill mifepristone last Saturday, after Governor Mark Gordon, a Republican, gave the green light to a law that will take effect on July 1. .
Several activists have already filed a legal challenge against that rule and against a near-total ban on abortion that went into effect Sunday but does not have the governor’s signature.
