Royal College Advises Obstetricians to Stay Silent about Suspected Illegal Abortions
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and three other groups have advised against reporting women suspected of illegal abortions to the police. They have urged doctors and nurses not to inform the police if they suspect a woman has performed an illegal abortion. They stated that it is never in the public interest to investigate a patient who is suspected of ending their own pregnancy. Health care workers should maintain patient confidentiality, even if the law has been broken.
In an earlier case, Bethany Cox, 22, had charges dropped against her, after being accused of ending her pregnancy illegally. Carla Foster, 45, was jailed last year for obtaining abortion tablets to end her pregnancy.
Her sentence was later reduced and it was stated that imprisoning her could discourage other pregnant women from seeking medical care. It was further advised to ask for consent before sharing any confidential medical information with the police. Nonetheless, exceptional cases are considered with sensitivity and are dealt with as carefully as possible.
PA Media contributed to this report.
