Activists Worry that Legislation Decriminalizing Late-Term Self-Abortion Will Pass
According to anti-abortion activists, the full decriminalization of pills-by-post at any stage of pregnancy is considered “highly dangerous” for women.
Activists have raised significant concerns about a proposal to decriminalize late-term self-administered abortions using pills. Last week, an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill aimed at removing criminal offenses related to self-abortion at any point was withdrawn, but activists worry it may resurface later. Abortions in England are currently legal when performed by a registered medical practitioner within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, with a requirement that they take place in hospitals or clinics after ten weeks.
The withdrawn amendment, introduced by a group of MPs including Stella Creasy and Diana Johnson, sought to repeal sections 58, 59, and 60 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Those sections respectively make it an offense to administer or supply drugs or use instruments to procure an abortion, to conceal the birth of a child, and contribute to abortion-related regulations.
The debate came into the spotlight after the widely publicized case of Carla Foster, a 45-year-old mother of three who obtained abortion pills by mail and lied about her pregnancy duration. Foster was sentenced to 28 months for self-administering an abortion, though the Court of Appeal later reduced her sentence.
Groups like Right to Life have criticized the proposed amendments as “extreme,” warning that they could effectively deregulate abortion for women who mislead providers to acquire abortion pills, rendering existing regulations ineffective. Meanwhile, Labour MPs argue that without change, punitive measures will still exist.
In addition, campaigners argued that abortion care providers have seen an increase in information requests from police, indicating potential future prosecution. The leader of the anti-abortion group 40 Days for Life Birmingham expressed concerns over the potential reintroduction of the amendments, emphasizing the dangerous repercussions the changes could have on women’s health.
Ruth Rawlins, head of communications for the Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform UK, echoed these concerns and added that the proposed amendments could lead to further abuses and health risks for women. The Epoch Times attempted to contact Stella Creasy and Diana Johnson for comment.
