I'm not sure if this is true but the moral of this story is executing a pregnant and she's a teenager who's forced on fixed marriage is just not right. 14 yrs Rose Doyle stood tied to a post in the prison yard on March 3, 1917, sentenced to firing squad for killing her 42 years old husband James Doyle and 51 years old Prison Doctor Mrs. Catherine Sullivan had been required to certify her before executionDuring the medical exam, Mrs. Sullivan had placed her hand on Rose’s abdomen and had said sharply, “Stop! Untie her!”Firing squad captain: Doctor, the sentence is execution.Mrs. Sullivan: Captain, the sentence is on one person. There are two people here. She is five months pregnant. I will not certify a pregnant child for execution.Doctor Sullivan documented in the prison log: “EXECUTION HALT - March 3, 1917: Prisoner Rose Doyle, age 14, sentenced to firing squad. EXAMINATION RESULT: Patient 20 weeks pregnant. EXECUTION CANCELLED. International law prohibits execution of pregnant persons. Patient married to victim James Doyle at age 12. Patient claims self-defense against forced marriage. Pregnancy confirms marriage occurred.Case referred for "retrial,” and Mrs. Sullivan had ordered Rose untied and returned to the infirmaryThe execution was halted and during retrial, Rose’s lawyers proved James had forced marriage at twelve and Rose acted in self-defense Rose was acquitted and placed in protective custodyDoctor Sullivan testified: I found her pregnant at the post. I cancelled the firing squad. 14 years old, five months pregnant, about to be executed for killing her rapist. The rope was untied. The rifles were lowered. Medicine stopped the military.Doctor Sullivan lived until 1970, dying at age ninety-nine. Before her death, she reflected: “I was examining a 14 yrs old tied to a firing squad post. I felt a baby kick. I said, 'Untie her. She’s pregnant.’ The captain said ‘Orders are execution.’ I said ‘My orders are medicine. International law says no pregnant executions. Untie her or I report you for war crimes.’ They untied her. The firing squad was dismissed. Doctors examine prisoners. That day I examined and saved two. Pregnancy halted bullets. A baby’s kick stopped a firing squad.”
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Will Jones
This viral story about 14-year-old Rose Doyle and Doctor Catherine Sullivan is a fictional narrative generated for social media and does not describe a real historical event. The text has been widely shared across platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
