A UK woman has been sentenced to 28 months in prison for unlawfully obtaining abortion drugs, subsequently leading to the death of her unborn baby at approximately eight months of pregnancy. The baby, referred to as ‘Lily’ in court, was between 32 to 34 weeks old when her life was prematurely ended through self-administered abortion drugs. The woman managed to procure these drugs from BPAS, a UK abortion provider, during the first Coronavirus lockdown in 2020. BPAS had sent the drugs after a virtual consultation, with no requirement for an ultrasound or physical examination to confirm the pregnancy stage or the mother’s health.
After ingesting the abortion drugs on May 11, 2020, an emergency call was made, indicating the woman was in labor. Unfortunately, baby Lily was born not breathing and was pronounced dead approximately 45 minutes later. The court disclosed that between February and May 2020, the woman had conducted online searches related to performing an abortion without medical intervention and ways to lose a baby at six months of gestation.
Reacting to the case, a spokesperson from the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) described it as a horrifying incident. The spokesperson expressed concern over the legality of DIY abortion drugs and the tragic death of a fully viable baby. According to the spokesperson, the judge clarified that Lily’s mother was aware she had surpassed the legal gestation limit but lied to obtain the drugs.
The SPUC spokesperson emphasized that the mother, filled with remorse and currently dependent on mental health services, is not entirely to blame. Instead, the onus lies largely with abortion providers who endorsed risky home abortions. The spokesperson further criticized BPAS, asserting that the tragic death exposes the inadequacy of safeguards associated with abortion. BPAS’s policy of distributing deadly abortion drugs through the post without requiring physical examination or medical supervision was called into question.
In conclusion, the SPUC spokesperson denounced calls by abortion providers for full decriminalization of abortion, including up to birth. The spokesperson argued that decriminalization will not benefit vulnerable women, pointing out that most people sentenced under abortion laws are men who induced abortions either forcibly or secretly. The spokesperson suggested that removing the few safeguards provided by the 1967 Abortion Act would lead to more tragic outcomes for women and their babies.