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Both amendments propose removing offences that make it illegal to perform a self-abortion at any point right through to birth.
Neither of the amendments outlines circumstances in which it would continue to be an offence to perform a self-abortion – the changes to the law would apply throughout nine months of pregnancy and would not exclude sex-selective abortions.
Stella Creasy’s amendment, if it became law, would also repeal Section 60 of the Offences Against the Person Act, which is currently used to make it illegal to hide the body of a dead newborn baby, including in circumstances when the baby has been killed through infanticide. Section 60 is also important in stopping individuals from preventing an investigation into the cause of a child’s death when infanticide is suspected.
These amendments would likely lead to an increased number of babies’ lives being ended through late-term abortions performed at home, as well as the lives of many more women being endangered.
BACKGROUND
As has been covered in the media extensively, there was a tragic case of a woman being sent abortion pills by the abortion provider, BPAS, who had not accurately established the gestation of her baby, Lily, who was then aborted at between 32 and 34 weeks, which is around 8 months gestation.
The case would not have happened had the gestation of baby Lily been accurately identified by ultrasound or a physical examination during an in-person appointment. If this appointment had taken place, the gestation of the baby would have been accurately identified and the abortion could not have taken place.
Rather than supporting the reinstatement of in-person appointments that would prevent women’s lives from being put at risk, abortion campaigners have tabled these two extreme amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill that would remove offences that make it illegal to perform a self-abortion right through to birth.
This would lead to a worsening of the situation, with a likely sharp increase in the number of babies that have their lives ended in a late-term abortion at home and the lives of many more women being endangered.
Pro-life MP, Carla Lockhart, has tabled Early Day Motion 131, which calls on the Government to reinstate in-person medical appointments to ensure these tragic cases cannot occur in the future. The motion also calls on the House of Commons to reject the two extreme abortion amendments.
Please enter your postcode in the box above to write to your MP asking them to oppose the two extreme abortion up to birth amendments and sign Early Day Motion 131.
