Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson’s amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill is due to be debated in Parliament later this month. The amendment would stop all prosecutions of women like later released suspected of having illegal late-term abortions, meaning that abortion would be decriminalised.
But a group of nearly 500 medical professionals have signed a letter warning MPs that the amendment poses “serious risks” to women’s health.
“Quite aside from the increased number of viable babies’ lives being ended beyond the 24-week time limit”, the letter states, “there would likely be a significant increase in such complications as it would remove any legal deterrent against women performing their own abortions late in pregnancy.
“We believe a legal deterrent remains important.”
The letter, which has been sent to MPS, adds: “If offences that make it illegal for a woman to perform her own abortion at any gestation were repealed, such abortions would, de facto, become possible up to birth for any reason including abortions for sex-selective purposes, as women could mistakenly or wilfully mislead abortion providers about their gestational age.”
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “Decriminalisation is a grave threat to women, removing all deterrents, especially in cases of late-term abortions with a high risk of complications, which can include sepsis and haemorrhaging. Recent Government data shows that abortion pills have a complication rate of 33% for women who abort a child between 13 and 19 weeks, and 48% over 20 weeks.
“If this amendment succeeds, complications will surge and abortion will be further normalised, the latter point being what decriminalisation is really all about. The ramifications of this amendment, if passed, will be disastrous for both unborn children and their mothers.
“If Parliament wants to help women and prevent more prosecutions, it should reverse the irresponsible ‘pills by post’ policy that led to the arrest of Carla Foster in the first place.”
