SPUC is mobilising pro-lifer supporters across the country to take action immediately to defeat two new clauses to the Domestic Abuse Bill aimed at decriminalising abortion.
Antonia Tully, SPUC Director of Campaigns said: "It is scandalous that a bill designed to protect women from domestic abuse is being highjacked to decriminalise abortion. Abortion is a form of domestic abuse. Many women are coerced into abortion. These amendments play straight into the hands of abusive men."
Acting now to defeat the clauses
Two new clauses have been tabled to the Domestic Abuse Bill which is due to be debated on July 6.
New Clause 28 seeks to make home abortions legal for domestic abuse victims and New Clause 29 seeks to repeal sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act. This would remove abortion from the criminal law.
Antonia Tully said: “These amendments are totally toxic. If they are passed unborn children will have no legal protection under the criminal law and dangerous home abortions will put vulnerable women at greater risk from coerced abortion.”
Pro-life MPs must be pro-active
SPUC is also calling on MPs with a pro-life voting record to lobby the Speaker in the House of Commons who will be selecting the amendments to the Bill next week.
SPUC’s Mrs Tully added: "It's the Speaker who selects which amendments are included in a bill. We are urging supporters who live in a constituency with a pro-life MP to ask their MP to lobby the Speaker to throw out the abortion amendments."
SPUC has provided three key reasons as to why the Speaker should reject New Clause 28 and New Clause 29:
- Abortion is out of scope of this bill, which is about tackling domestic abuse.
- Abortion is a devisive issue with strong views on both sides – an amendment to an unrelated bill is not the place to debate it.
- The Domestic Abuse Bill is a vital piece of legislation that needs to be passed to protect women. It should not be derailed by unrelated, controversial amendments.
For more information on how to contact your MP and help defeat abortion decriminalisation, follow the link here