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The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, was warned that buffer zones will deny women a choice.
"Marie Stopes has no alternatives to offer these women."
Clare McCullough, Director of Good Counsel Network (GCN), has written an open letter to the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd.
Mrs McCullough was responding to Rupa Huq MP, who in a letter signed by 112 other MPs, petitioned Ms Rudd to request the implementation of buffer zones around abortion centres. Ms Huq, who has repeatedly refused to meet with any women who have received support from the Good Counsel Network, has been running a concerted campaign to bring an end to the pro-life vigils which have enabled "hundreds of women [to take up] help and support which has enabled them to choose life for their children".
Setting the Record Straight
Responding to "the many false and unevidenced allegations made by Ms Huq and her colleagues", Mrs McCullough categorically states that "no-one attending our vigils calls women seeking abortion "murderers"." She reminds Ms Huq that "if these things were occurring at our vigils, which happen every day, there would be ample opportunity to provide proof of it. There is none."
Furthermore, "GCN staff and volunteers do not have any graphic pictures of abortion on display whatsoever outside the abortion centre. We show several A4 sized images of the developing baby, which are accurate representations of babies in the womb at different stages. We do not display inaccurate pictures nor do we give women inaccurate medical information."
Choice?
Earlier this month, Sir Edward Leigh MP read out the testimony of Kate, who "leapt out of the ground floor window to escape" an abortion clinic to seek help from Good Counsel Network. Mrs. McCullough explains that GCN have counselled many women who were unsure of their decision, or felt under pressure to abort. "Some women feel they have to abort to avoid homelessness, abuse, desertion and so on. These women include illegal immigrants, foreign students, trafficked women and a variety of UK residents who had other pressures on them that were not easy to address. Marie Stopes has no alternatives to offer these women."
Women deserve support
The letter concludes: "The CEO of British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), Ann Furedi, stated recently that 15% of women change their mind at BPAS centres every year . This makes it quite clear that many women have not made up their minds to abort when they arrive at an abortion centre.""Countrywide 15% of women entering abortion centres who have doubts equals tens of thousands of women who, if buffer zones are implemented, will not be offered any alternative by abortion centres. Women who are uncertain about going through with an abortion have a right to be provided with alternative support in a peaceful manner."
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