AIBU to think throwing a mum-of-four in prison for having an abortion is never the answer?

[therescoffeeinthatnebula]

Spotted this on Twitter and haven't seen it already being discussed.

Apparently, a woman is being sentenced today for having an abortion over the limit during lockdown. I don't know of the circumstances (can't find anything other than the Sunday Times article), only that she already had four children and claims she didn't know exactly how far along she was.

I think most of us would agree making medical appointments during lockdown was bloody difficult and that it's even harder to attend any appointment if you have children, given you're not normally allowed to take them with you.

Whatever the truth, I'm appalled to see a woman potentially thrown in prison for trying to seek an abortion during lockdown, especially when you look at how violence against women is treated. I'd have thought referring her for mandatory counselling would be more of an appropriate outcome than prison because finding out you aborted what could have been a viable baby has got to mess with anyone's head.

It's all very sad - she should have been able to access proper services earlier - but prison, to me, should never have been on the table as a consequence.

I didn't actually realise that abortion in this country was blanket illegal and that our rights to seek abortions up to the limit are actually exceptions to that law rather than a piece of legislation that stands on its own.

Do I detect the "babies are punishment for being a slut" argument being brought into play?

@Dacadactyl your presumption to speak for all women is astounding. I had an abortion at 8 weeks pregnant, I was already a mother of 4 including twins under one at the time, with a marriage heading for the skids and part way through a training course that gave me the freedom to leave. The minute I got that positive test I knew immediately what I was going to do, the whole procedure was a total breeze, I have barely given it a thought since then except to make sure my contraception is water tight. If I got pregnant again due to a contraception failure I’d be down the clinic quicker than you can say abortion. And you know what? They idea that abortion would be hugely traumatic made me keep a multiple pregnancy that I didn’t want, and that has hugely impacted my life and the life of my older children. I love my kids but I would not have 4 of them today if I knew how easy abortion was. An 8 week embryo is not a child (and I’m also a midwife and believe me, I’m at the sharp end of women’s health. I’ve saved women’s lives who’ve almost died due to childbirth). Raising children that one has no capacity for is a real kicker to the mental health of women, and has impacted me far more than my quick, easy, painless abortion.

Your life experience must be really narrow, and your ability to empathise pretty low, to have that perspective.

It hasn't been cleared up.

We were told it would induce labour, but as a 34 week fetus could survive birth this doesn't explain how she died.

Please tell us: how does an abortion pill kill a 34 week baby?
I've been asking and you seem to know?

And?

@Recoveringcynic Not really.

What’s your point?

I don’t agree at all with what she did and agree she should have been prosecuted. But I don’t get why her sex life is relevant to this conversation?

Your life experience must be really narrow, and your ability to empathise pretty low, to have that perspective

100% agree

I agree with completely.

• No, not all. But it is an act that goes against a woman's fundamental instinct (to protect her child). I don't believe there is no mental impact from committing the act. Women are being let down by society when "they feel like they have no other option but to abort". I feel that it is the most anti-woman act on earth and have no idea how feminists get behind it. Instead of addressing societal issues, it's easier for the government to say "abortion is legal" so that they don't have to address inequalities. This let's women down*

@Dacadactyl

Not all women want children.
Not all women like children.
Women are entitled to be more than maternal vessels.

You are not a feminist.

This poster has made it clear through several posts that it is the ex husband (whom she somehow knows to be 'poor and innocent') who is the most wronged party in all of this. At least its a unique take!!

No I am most definitely not a feminist! I never proclaimed to be.

Well obviously.

Multiple posters on this thread are very clearly anti-abortion.

Previous posters were wondering why she didn't want the father to the older children to know she was pregnant, this fact explains it so I gave the link for context. Is that OK with you or was you hoping to draw me into a pile on where I'm called misogynistic?

That's obvious, your hatred of women is glaring.

During the court case they didn't call the child the Fetus, they called her baby Lily.

Can someone please explain how the drugs would have caused her baby to die? From looking in Google, it seems that the standard combination (possibly with different amounts) can be used throughout pregnancy, but that if the unborn is 22w+ they inject it to kill it before labour to ensure its not born alive. Given how the gestation here, wouldn't the baby have been born alive? I'm confused.

.

As I said above, people were asking why she would feel the need to hide the pregnancy from the older children's father. This fact, about the other men, explains that and answers the question.

Context is key. People are assuming the man is a domestic abuser based on her concealing the pregnancy and that's absolutely unfair and unacceptable.

So you don't believe in equality for women, then? Right..... just how inferior do you think we are to men?

Babies aren't a punishment for sex they are a natural consequence.
If not wanted you can use contraception or get an early abortion.

You don't have a right to kill a baby after 24 weeks just because it is physically dependent on you. You are not being forced to birth, the natural process of pregnancy which now cannot be stopped because the baby has rights too.

The same argument is being made about puberty blockers and trans kids: they are being forced into puberty if not given blockers.

Not intervening to stop a natural process is not forcing a natural process.

It's also interesting how feminists on the trans issue also say that TRAs cannot see the clash of rights and insist only their rights matter, when on the abortion issue they (some) refuse to acknowledge the clash of rights here.

It's where ideological purity leads. When horrors can be committed in the name of your principle it's probably a good idea to maybe stop and think.

I am a woman myself. I do not hate women.

See my previous post I have explained myself twice.

I'd like to know this too.
You'd think this information would be key.

I would like to know this too.