The BBC is reporting that “an unprecedented number of women” have been investigated for illegally aborting their child.
The information was provided to the broadcaster by abortion giant MSI Reproductive Choices UK (MSI). Its Medical Director, Dr Jonathan Lord, admitted that the rise in police investigations may be linked to women taking DIY abortion pills they have received through the post.
It comes as MPs are expected to vote next month on Labour MP Diana Johnson’s amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill that would fully decriminalise women killing their unborn children.
Abortion activists
MSI claims as many as 60 criminal inquiries have taken place in England and Wales since 2018, “compared with almost zero before”.
Abortion in Britain is legal for most reasons up to 24 weeks, and is available up to birth for children deemed to have a disability. But legal protections still exist for the unborn in cases where the 1967 Abortion Act does not apply.
The highly controversial pills-by-post scheme allows women to obtain abortion pills without a face-to-face consultation with a doctor.
Temporary regulations during the coronavirus pandemic allowing women in England and Wales who are less than ten weeks pregnant to take abortion pills without medical supervision became permanent in 2022, following pressure from pro-abortion activists, including MSI.
Complications
The lack of oversight from a medical professional means that some women have procured the pills long after the limit, resulting in a number needing medical assistance arising from complications.
In one case, this led to the prosecution and conviction of Carla Foster, who took the pills when her unborn child was around 32-34 weeks. She later gave birth to a stillborn daughter.
She was given a 28-month sentence, of which only 14 were to be spent behind bars. However, she was released after just one month after the Court of Appeal reduced her sentence to 14 months suspended.
Threatening medics
The National Police Chiefs’ Council has said that pregnancy loss is investigated only if credible evidence suggests a crime.
But new guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) threatens healthcare professionals with “potential fitness to practise proceedings” if they “call the police” because they believe an illegal abortion has taken place.
It was later revealed that it was put together by a group chaired by Dr Lord, who has also been openly supportive of efforts by Labour MPs Stella Creasy and Diana Johnson to fully decriminalise abortion.
An estimated 44 million deaths by abortion took place worldwide in 2023
Leading cause of death
Abortion was the leading cause of death worldwide in 2023 – the fifth year in a row.
Figures compiled by Worldometer indicate that abortion claimed more than 44 million lives in 2023. By comparison, infectious diseases were responsible for the second highest number of deaths at 13 million, followed by cancer at 8 million.
Worldometer estimated that all other causes of death totalled over 60 million last year – meaning abortion accounted for more than 40 per cent of all deaths.
