WARREN — The Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights is requesting that Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins stop pursuing a criminal indictment against Brittany Watts.

Watts, 33, of Tod Avenue NW, faces a single charge of abuse of corpse, a fifth-degree felony, regarding the handling of the miscarriage of her 22-week-old fetus in September. During an arraignment in Warren Municipal Court earlier this month, Watts pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Warren Assistant Prosecutor Lewis Guarnieri said the police investigation found that Watts miscarried the baby while using the restroom and tried to plunge and flush the remains down the toilet, where it got stuck in the pipes.

Hours after being admitted to the hospital, Warren police removed the toilet from Watts’ home and took it to the Trumbull County Coroner’s Office, who then had to chisel away at the pipes to remove the fetal remains, according to Guarnieri.

The fetus was about 22 weeks old when the miscarriage happened Sept. 22.

The case has garnered national attention.

OPRR is requesting that Watkins drop the abuse of corpse charge.

“As citizens, we are outraged that the criminal justice system is being used to punish Ms. Watts who, like thousands of women each year, spontaneously miscarried a nonviable fetus,” OPRR said in a letter to Watkins. “As physicians, we are deeply concerned that your actions will deter women who miscarry from obtaining the medical attention they need and deserve. … We have no doubt that women facing the threat of jail time and hefty fines will conceal the fact that they have miscarried and refuse to seek treatment. That means the continued prosecution of Ms. Watts will place the lives and health of those women at risk.”

In a news release, Dr. Lauren Beene, OPRR executive director, argued it was wrong for the nurse caring for Watts and hospital administrators to call Warren police, wrong for the officers to “invade” Watts’ home while she was at the hospital, wrong for Guarnieri to move that she be bound over to the grand jury, and wrong for Warren Municipal Court Judge Terry Ivanchak to grant Guarnieri’s motion.

“Prosecutor Watkins has the opportunity to be the first law enforcement official to do the right thing since this incident began,” Beene said. “It’s an opportunity he should seize immediately.”

The letter addressed to Watkins also was shared with Warren Mayor Doug Franklin, Law Director Enzo Cantalamessa and the members of city council.

Watkins declined to answer questions, saying the prosecutor’s office does not comment on pending grand jury cases.