woman sentenced to 8 years for 38-week home abortion

[WokingOnSunshine]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-19621675
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2204471/Mother-Sarah-Catt-terminated-baby-week-date-using-medication.html

I agree, Shob - It's always made me wonder... what would happen if I had agreed to the testing, a problem Had been seen and my DS was born before I could go for a termination?

Does he only have rights the second he's born? IMHO, 24 weeks is right. Shorter, and it infriges the rights of the mother. Longer, and it infringes the rights of the baby.

But, still makes this case a very odd one.

It sounds really disturbing. I can't make up my mind about what I feel about this. Her history seems quite odd.

This is one of the saddest news stories I can remember.

Surely 8 years in prison is a completely pointless thing to do to her. I find it unlikely that she is a danger to anyone else, and if anything she needs help rather than punishment.

I can't imagine what she must have been going through to take such drastic action, and she surely will suffer mentally and emotionally from it for the rest of her life.

Pointless to send her to prison imo

What a strange, horrible story. I can't get my head around why a mother would do something like that.

I'm puzzled where the father of the children was during all these concealed pregnancies? I can't see how she managed to conceal a pregnancy for 9 months. Very fishy.

And who will be looking after her children?

I think there is probably a huge back story to this that hasn't been reported. Adoption, abortion, another attempted abortion, then this, plus two other children dosen't seem logical. Why did this woman continue to let herself become pregnant?!

Pointless?

In prison at least she won't be getting pregnant again. And she seems to have such little regard for human life, where else should she be? At home, with the children she allowed to live.... Telling them what about their dead siblings?

That is murder pure and simple.
The words 'abortion' should not be in the news title
Poor baby, how he must have suffered being at full term. Rip the the poor little chap she decided to callously kill!
Evil scum of the earth, she should be sterilised and put to death

"At 39 weeks I'm really not sure it can be considered an abortion"
burt abortion is legal at 39 weeks, isn't it?

What a tragedy. I don't really see what purpose is served by imprisoning her - except to punish someone who didn't co-operate with the police.

She seems not to have discovered (or allowed herself to admit, perhaps) her pregnancies until very late on each time. For that reason, she could not have had a legal abortion.

What a pity she did not have help or accept help, earlier. It is strange she didn't use an implant or even sterilisation, but who knows what really lies at the heart of this.

Sorry that was a bit rambled.

stealth - Yes it is. You are right.

Whether it should be or not is a matter for debate, but it is legal.

I thought it was illegal in the uk to abort past 24 weeks unless true medical reasons are used?
I know in America it is legal but not here

Edam I think to stop her becoming pregnant again and killing more babies.

For someone who clearly doesnt like being pregnant/want kids, shes done it a lot. Surely contraception didnt fail that many times.

I think 8 years is fitting. If she was 38 weeks pregnant it is in effect infanticide. If she had waited to give birth 2 weeks later and smothered it with a pillow would it have been any different? She should have had the baby and then given it up for adoption. How anyone could go deliberatley kill the baby inisde them , deliver it on their own and then get rid of the body is beyond me.

in america its legal? what upto this late stage?
for no medical reason?

is that really true?

Stealth - in the UK? Or elsewhere? That's shocking.

I remember reading something about inducing labour then 'aborting' the baby before its fully delivered, I think in the USA. Horrific. I could be wrong about that though.

Im sure in the uk it is illegal

And late abortions are only illegal under very exceptional circumstances e.g. severe abnormalities in baby.

Sorry I meant LEGAL.

Misoprostol is what frequently is used to induce labour in hospitals isn't it? So baby may be alive somewhere or dead.

Her history shows serious possibly personality or mental health issues. Awful case all round. Everyone loses.

I thought you could have an abortion up to term in the UK for certain conditions including downs syndrome and cleft palate? Could be wrong.

This full term baby was killed by its mother. Why shouldn't she go to prison. She should never be allowed to have another child.

I posted back on page 1 then went for lunch and so, with loads of crossposts inbetween, Blackberry I'm not sure whether 8 years is too short a sentence or too long but I think it's the wrong sentence. If they are saying she murdered her child, it should have been a longer sentence, if not, surely there's some psychological aspect to this and the sentence should have been shorter. It just seems an odd length of prison term.

I hope thats not true stealth, cleft palate a reason to abort so late...im speechless
Fwiw i do not think 8yrs is enough, 18yrs would be more fitting

Well it would be good to think that's the case then. Just people are querying whether it's technically abortion. If it's abortion when the baby has downs syndrome but murder whn the baby doesn't then that's very concerning.