Left image – Wikimedia Commons: Official portrait of Tonia Antoniazzi
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has reacted with horror to a vote in the House of Commons decriminalising abortion.
The clause, tabled by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, was approved by MPs by 379 to 137.
The amendment changes the underlying laws on abortion so that “no offence is committed by a woman acting in relation to her own pregnancy”. Ms Antoniazzi’s explanatory statement says that the clause “would disapply existing criminal law related to abortion from women acting in relation to their own pregnancy at any gestation”, allowing abortion up to birth.
Alithea Williams of SPUC said “We are horrified that MPs have voted for this extreme and barbaric proposal. If this clause becomes law, a woman who aborts her baby at any point in pregnancy, even moments before birth, would not be committing a criminal offence. In fact, by dismissing the Infant Life Preservation Act intended to provide legal protection to a child during birth, a woman who killed her baby during delivery would not be committing an offence.
“Our already liberal Abortion law allows an estimated 300,000 babies a year to be killed. Now, even the very limited protection afforded by the law is being stripped away. And this has been pushed by an abortion lobby cynically exploiting a situation that they brought about. The cases they use of women being prosecuted for abortion – a number in the single digits – came about because of a policy they championed – sending women abortion pills in the post without in person appointments.
“This change has been made after only a few hours debate, with little notice. It was not in the Government’s manifesto, and it certainly doesn’t reflect public opinion. Recent polling found that 62% of the public agree that ‘Having an illegal abortion should continue to be a criminal offence to protect both the unborn and vulnerable women who could be coerced into losing a baby they may have wanted, for example by an abusive partner’. Only 5% support extending the abortion limit up to birth. We call on the Lords to throw this undemocratic, barbaric proposal out when it reaches them. We will never accept a law that puts women in danger and removes all rights from unborn babies.”
For more information contact Alithea Williams, SPUC Public Policy Manager, on 07792372599.
