A mother of a child with Down’s syndrome is suing the government over the UK’s abortion law which allows disabled children to be aborted up until birth. Doctor Anthony McCarthy, SPUC Director of Research said: “When an unborn child is thought to have Down’s syndrome, it is especially disgraceful that members of the medical profession take it upon themselves to subtly pressure mothers to end the lives of the most vulnerable.”
In the United Kingdom, abortion can be carried out for any reason until the 24th week of pregnancy, and then can be carried out until birth if the unborn child is suspected of having a foetal anomaly such as Down’s syndrome.
Maire Lea-Wilson, the mother seeking to sue to government, has described how during her pregnancy she was encouraged to abort her son with Down’s syndrome. Ms Lea-Wilson’s son is now 11 months old.
Legal papers are expected to be lodged with the High Court next week and a judge will then decide if this case can proceed to trial.
“I value both my sons equally, it is wrong that the law doesn’t”
Ms Lea-Wilson said: " I have two sons and I love and value them equally and I think it just seems really wrong that the law doesn't value them equally and we want to change that.
"The first thing that they wanted to talk about (in hospital) was whether we wanted to terminate the pregnancy, and I was 34 weeks pregnant at the time, so it was quite a difficult question to get asked.
"It is really tough to think back on that. I find it really difficult to think that Aidan's life isn't seen as valuable as his older brother's. it makes me worry as to whether he'll be seen the same or treated the same.
"I also really worry that when he's older if this law is still in place, how will that make him feel: that he's not as valuable, that he doesn't have equal worth?"
24-year-old Heidi Crowter who has Down’s syndrome is also jointly pursuing legal action against the government alongside Ms Lea-Wilson.
Heidi has said that the UK’s abortion law makes her feel “rejected by society and looked down on” She said that the UK’s abortion law makes her feel as though she “shouldn’t exist.”
All abortion is lethal discrimination against unborn children
Earlier this year, it was revealed that the number of late term abortions carried out past 24 weeks gestation on unborn children with Down’s syndrome had doubled across the past 10 years.
SPUC’s Dr Anthony McCarthy said: "All abortion is lethal discrimination against unborn children. When an unborn child is thought to have Down Syndrome it is especially disgraceful that members of the medical profession take it upon themselves to subtly pressure mothers to end the lives of the most vulnerable.
“Such abortions are also deeply harmful to the women who undergo them. To treat the lives of very young disabled children as so lacking in value that they may be ended for the supposed benefit of parents or society is to betray the goals of medicine and the principles of justice upon which our civilisation depends."