- Controversial Imprisonment Sparks Pro-Abortion Movement
- Calls for Compassion and Legal Reform
- Global Solidarity and Rights Advocacy
The case of a 44-year-old mother of three who was imprisoned for performing a late abortion on her 32- to 34-week-old infant has brought attention to British law regarding the termination of pregnancy.
Thousands of pro-abortion campaigners rallied for a woman sentenced to two years in prison for breaking abortion restrictions.
A 44-year-old mother of three was sentenced to 28 months for taking abortion drugs after 24 weeks this week.
At the time, she was between 32 and 34 weeks expectant.
Protesters marched from the Royal Courts of Justice to Whitehall on Saturday to decriminalise abortion.
The case has galvanized the pro-abortion movement and brought attention to British abortion law, which specifies that after 24 weeks, abortion is a criminal offense in the majority of cases.
Stella Creasy, a Labour MP, delivered a speech to the protesters during the march.
This week proves what some of us have been trying to tell middle-aged men on Twitter for a long time,” she said.
In England and Wales, we do not have a legal right to choose, which has very serious consequences.
In the past decade, there have been 67 lawful prosecutions of women under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act.
She stated that the legislation no longer “served its intended purpose.”
She stated, “This piece of legislation, particularly sections 58 and 59, is no longer fit for purpose.”
“And I stand here today asking what your red line is, because there is no doubt that these cases are challenging, but what we’re asking for is a compassionate starting point.
Because a mother of three children, one of whom has special education requirements, is currently incarcerated.
Whose interests does it serve to continually penalize this woman?
Birmingham’s Fiona said, “I’m here for my daughter, for myself, and all women.”
“It’s a sensitive topic for many, but I believe women should be able to determine for themselves whether to have children. Every infant has the right to be desired.
Another person, Jill, stated, “I cannot express how incensed and desperate I feel about this.
“However, I want to show solidarity with her and women all over the world who don’t have access to abortion, who don’t have abortion rights, and who risk life and liberty to control their fertility.”
This is the most fundamental aspect of a woman’s right to have a child or not to have a child. A woman’s right to be pregnant or not to be pregnant. It is preposterous that this right is being abused in 2023.
Lauren, who attended the march with her mother, told, “It’s incredible what’s been accomplished in Northern Ireland so recently. And there is now an evident imbalance. There is an imbalance in the global economy.
“The issue, in my opinion, is that people believe we have a lot more rights than we do, and it’s only when a situation like this arises that you realize how limited or insufficient our rights are.”
In England, Scotland, and Wales, the 162-year-old law prohibiting abortion was amended in 1967, allowing abortions up to 28 weeks with an authorized provider, which was subsequently reduced to 24 weeks in 1991.
There are extremely limited circumstances that would permit an abortion after 24 weeks. Such as if the mother’s life is in danger or if the fetus would be born severely disabled.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, individuals seeking an abortion in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy were able to receive abortion pills by mail, whereas previously they would have had to visit a clinic in person; this measure became permanent in August 2020.
In 2019, abortion was decriminalized in Northern Ireland.
