A collective statement signed by over thirty pro-abortion organisations, including the British Medical Association, has called for the total decriminalisation of abortion. SPUC slammed the “reprehensible” statement, calling it “self-serving extremism”.
Over thirty groups signed the statement calling for parliament to stop criminal investigations and prosecutions of illegal abortions, amounting to a call for decriminalisation of abortion.
Signatories included the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Gynaecologists, the Faculty of Public Health, and the British Society of Abortion Care Providers.
“Medical leaders” called for change after an “unprecedented” rise in women being prosecuted for having illegal abortions.
Louise McCudden of abortion provider MSI told Sky News: “We don’t believe abortion should be a crime… It’s healthcare, and it should be regulated the same as any other healthcare.”
Last year, a Sky News investigation reported that 29 people in England and Wales were under police investigation on suspicion of having an illegal abortion between 2023 and 2024.
In 2023, Carla Foster was jailed after she lied to an abortion provider over the phone about the age of her unborn child. After a consultation, Foster was sent abortion pills, which she then used illegally when her unborn baby was at 34 weeks gestation. Her sentence was later suspended on appeal.
During the trial, the presiding judge criticised attempts by the pro-abortion lobby to influence his court.
“Pro-abortion groups responsible for ‘unprecedented’ rise”
SPUC pushed back against the “disingenuous narrative” spun by pro-abortion groups.
Michael Robinson, SPUC Executive Director (Public Affairs and Legal Services), said: “Pro-abortion groups are responsible for the ‘unprecedented’ rise in women being investigated for alleged illegal abortions – brought about by the pills by post scheme, which these organisations called for in the first place.
“DIY abortion, allowing women to obtain abortion pills over the phone, has directly led to many people being sent abortifacients that they subsequently took past the legal limit, either by accident or on purpose.
“In some cases, these abortion pills were used to spike unsuspecting women’s drinks by malicious partners. This is the reality of the pills-by-post scheme that pro-abortion groups conveniently ignore.
“Such apologists continue to peddle the line that it is not in the ‘public interest’ to investigate illegal late-term abortions, even though many Britons disagree with abortion up to birth, which is what decriminalisation means.
“Rather than admitting to what they really want, abortion providers continue to use cases like that of Carla Foster to bring about abortion up to birth, at whatever cost to the women involved, as well as their unborn children.”
SPUC calls on MPs to reverse pills-by-post scheme
Last week, on 9 January, SPUC hosted an event for MPs at the Houses of Parliament to highlight the dangers of the pills-by-post policy. 14 MPs and their staffers attended the well-received briefing, which was sponsored by DUP MP Carla Lockhart.
No pro-abortion MPs attended.
The DIY abortion scheme allows women wanting an abortion under 10 weeks to obtain abortion pills from a provider via video consultation with a medic or over the phone. Introduced during lockdown, the scheme was made permanent by MPs in 2022.
SPUC urged MPs at the event to sign a letter calling for a thorough review of the policy and called for an end to DIY abortion.
TAKE ACTION: Sign SPUC Petition
SPUC has launched a new petition calling on the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, to review the pills-by-post policy and bring it to an end.
In December, Norfolk man Stuart Worby was sentenced to 12 years in prison for using abortion pills to poison his pregnant girlfriend, causing the death of her baby at 15 weeks gestation. He crushed mifepristone into her drink and later administered misoprostol during a sexual assault.
Any impartial review of the evidence would show that the pills-by-post policy is dangerous for women and poses unacceptable risks.
Please add your name to our petition to help bring this policy to an end: SIGN THE PETITION.
