>>213938221 (OP)
The reason a killer can be charged with double homicide in that situation is based on legal recognition of the fetus as a separate victim in many jurisdictions. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
Separate legal personhood (for criminal law purposes):
Many laws treat a viable fetus (often past a certain stage of pregnancy, like 20–24 weeks) as a separate life for criminal liability. So, if a person intentionally kills a pregnant woman and the fetus dies, the law can consider that as two victims: the mother and the unborn child.
Double homicide charge:
Because the law sees the fetus as an independent victim once it reaches viability (or another legally defined stage), causing its death constitutes an additional homicide. The killer’s actions directly caused two deaths, even though one occurred in utero.
Policy rationale:
Protects unborn children in late pregnancy.
Recognizes the intent of the perpetrator to harm a person who is now legally recognized as a victim.
Variations by jurisdiction:
In some states or countries, the law specifies that any fetal death caused during the commission of a violent crime can be treated as homicide.
In others, charges might be different (like fetal homicide or manslaughter) rather than standard murder.
Summary: The killer is charged with double homicide because the law recognizes the unborn child as a separate legal victim whose death can be prosecuted independently of the mother’s death.
If you want, I can also explain how “viability” or gestational stage determines whether the fetus counts as a separate victim, because that’s often the key detail. Do you want me to go into that?
