973 out of 1,115 unborn babies prenatally diagnosed with Down’s syndrome were killed by abortion in 2021.
108 babies with a cleft lip/palate were also aborted, as well as 53 babies with a club foot, in England and Wales (and Crown Dependencies).
“Don’t Screen Us Out”, a group that campaigns for equal rights for all people with Down’s syndrome, expressed its sadness at “the shockingly high percentage” of abortions: “These statistics show the urgent need for MPs to update legislation to ensure that babies with Down’s syndrome cannot be aborted up to birth.”
Last month, Sir Liam Fox MP tabled an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill that, if passed, would stop babies diagnosed with Down’s syndrome from being aborted after 24 weeks.
The current law, which allows such abortions up until birth, treats babies with Down’s syndrome like “second-class citizens”, said Fox, whose amendment has reportedly received cross-party support from 40 MPs.
Over 50% fewer babies diagnosed with Down’s syndrome have been born in Europe in recent years because of abortion enabled by non-invasive prenatal screening, a study estimated in 2021.
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “Abortion permits a terrible discrimination against people with disabilities, especially children with Down’s syndrome who are made to feel unwanted by society.
“No nation that claims to be ‘civilised’ should accept such blatant discrimination that ultimately results in the killing of minority populations, which Europe has seen before when disabled people were euthanised by intolerant regimes.
“Rather than telling children that they might be better off dead, societies should cherish and promote life for all people.”
