UK Parliament Takes Steps to Decriminalize Late Abortions
On Tuesday, the British Parliament made a significant move towards decriminalizing late-term abortions in England and Wales. The House of Commons voted 379 to 137 in favor of an amendment to a broader crime bill, which aims to prevent the prosecution of women for obtaining abortions beyond current legal limits, potentially up to the point of birth. Presently, abortion is restricted after 24 weeks, except in specific cases such as threats to the mother’s life.
Representative Tonia Antoniazzi, who brought forth the amendment, argued for its necessity due to the over 100 women investigated for alleged illegal abortions in the last five years. She expressed, “This law simply drives women out of the criminal justice system because they are vulnerable and need our help.” Antoniazzi further criticized the existing law, calling it cruel and a failure of justice.
The government is also proposing a “buffer zone” nationwide, criminalizing certain activities near abortion clinics across the UK. During the Covid-19 pandemic, new laws allowed women to receive abortion medications by mail for the first ten weeks of pregnancy. However, some women have faced charges for using these pills after 24 weeks.
One case involved a mother of three who received a two-year sentence in 2023 for inducing an abortion at around eight months. The Court of Appeal later reduced her sentence, highlighting the need for compassion in such circumstances.
Alitea Williams from the British Society for the Protection of the Fetals criticized the parliamentary vote, expressing that it could allow for extreme leniency regarding late abortions. She warned that if passed into law, women could terminate pregnancies at any stage without facing criminal charges, undermining existing protections for unborn children during delivery.
While another proposed amendment aimed to shield health professionals from prosecution for assisting in abortions, it did not proceed to a vote. The crime bill now needs to pass in the House of Commons before moving forward.
