London, : The legalisation of abortion in Sierra Leone will not save lives, says the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), an internationally-active pro-life organisation based in England.
Sierra Leone's Parliament has passed the Safe Abortion Act 2015, replacing law based on British legislation banning abortion. The government has been working with Ipas, the US-based pro-abortion lobbyists, to promote a so-called 'need' to legalise abortion in order to save the lives of women.
John Smeaton, SPUC's chief executive, commented: "We deplore the legalisation of abortion in Sierra Leone and warn that it will not save lives. A 2012 Danish study revealed significantly higher maternal death rates following abortion compared with normal delivery. Legal abortions are particularly unsafe in very poor countries such as Sierra Leone. In contrast, the so-called 'studies' conducted by Ipas have no credibility. It is like relying on studies by the tobacco industry into the safety of smoking. Ipas have vested ideological and business interests in abortion legalisation.
"Future generations will wonder in disbelief that nations legalised the killing of innocent human beings in the names of healthcare and social reform. We call upon Sierra Leone to replace the Safe Abortion Act with legislation which defends human life from conception through to natural death", concluded Mr Smeaton.
For more detailed comments or an interview with John Smeaton, please contact Anthony Ozimic, SPUC's Media Manager, on: