imagine how this little girl is going to feel when sheis old enough to understand

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\link{http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4826148.stm\abortion bid mom}
can this not be classed as child abuse?

I think something that is missing here is the fact that the NHS did not make her pregnant, but rath failed to remove the pregnancy. But SHE (and some bloke) made her pregnant.

I can see that would be a bit irritated that the termination missed one of the babies. However, 4 years later plastering your kid's face across the world on the BBC website. Is this in the best interest of the child?

This is a self indulging attempt to hold someone else accountable for her own actions. And four years later.... what's up with that???

But did she "go to the papers"?

I suspect the papers went to her.

I do wonder about the anonymity thing as well - I thought there was some law about keeping children out of the papers? Isn't that the excuse they use to carry out all sorts of abuses in the family court - the welfare of children must mean secrecy? so how come in this case, the law doesn't protect the child?

kidstrack you're right really. It's about the missed abortion, not anything else. Adoption, benefits etc etc are all incidental to this case. Simple facts - hospital messed up (which they did but she probably hasn't a legal leg to stand on to force them to face up to their responsibilities) and as a result her life is affected.

I have nothing against abortions as I think it is the individuals decision whether to keep a baby or not but the fact is there is always a risk of something going wrong and in this case it did, one of the twins survived. Everyone is told all the details before they go ahead and there are documents to prove the girl knew the risks. If the baby had been born with disabilities as a result of the failed abortion then I would understand the need for financial compensation in order to give the child a better life but this little girl is healthy. The mother is suing for loss of potential earnings/life as a result of having a baby which sounds like plain money grabbing to me.

I know plenty of girls who had babies young (some of whom didnt want a baby but were to late for an abortion). These girls have got on with their lives, many of them work. They have worked hard, put themselves through college and got on with their lives in order to provide for their children. There is plenty of support out there for girls who want to get on ie creches at colleges etc. It seems to be that this girl is too busy playing the victim to get off her bum and do something and and now she thinks she has found an easy way out. If by some miracle she does win the case the compensation should be put in a trust fund for when the little girl is older and the mum shouldnt be able to touch it. After all it is the poor little girl who is going to suffer from this story being made public and the mum seems the sort to waste the money on herself, why else put her child through this ordeal.

Good job I havent got the same attitude as this mother though otherwise I would have sued the father of DS1 for potential loss of earnings etc. I had him just as I was coming to the end of a 3yr college course, I was set for a good career and had planned a year long jaunt to America but then I fell pg with DS1. He wasnt planned, we had taken percautions but obviously it didnt work. I was already 5.5months gone when I found out (irratic periods!) so abortion was not an option. As a result of having ds and his dad bolting a year later I went through a rough time but got on with it. I havent managed to have that great career yet but I havent just sat down and played the victim either. DS will never know he was a mistake, and as it is I now see him as more of a blessing, I wouldnt be without him. Shame this mother cant see her daughter like that instead of raking up all this.

Caligula, I though the law was that the parents had to give sonsent to show the child's picture. She obviously did this. Yes, I expect the papers went to her. But she must have agreed to it.

agree pebblemum, its amazing that the little girl survived at all, a truly amazing story if it had been told in the right context i.e i had an abortion but my baby survived, i love having my baby because i decided to keep her after evrything i've been through kinda thing but instead, i want 250k for looking after my baby

hmm, I don't know Uwila. I don't think parents are allowed to give consent in cases handled by the family courts. Hence the complaints of people like some of the loonies from fathers 4 justice, but also some of the families wrongly accused of abuse, who are not able to tell their stories publicly because of the strict secrecy that surrounds the family courts.

Exaxtly Uwila, that's what i was thinking about this.
Nobody *made8 her have sex and whatever precautions you take, sometimes sex = baby.
Maybe the daughter should sue her Mother for having sex and conceiving her!!

Maybe the daughter should sue for mental cruelty because mum is more interested in financial profit than she is in own daughters feelings.

JEEZ!

I don't know what the woman's like, but for me, it's quite clear what the issue is: was there negligence involved in the failed abortion? As someone else pointed out, operations don't always work, and that's not usually becuase of negligence, but just because they don't always work. In this case, if it's because of negligence, then she's quite right to hold the hospital accountable, if it's not, then she won't win anyway.

How else would you describe what she did to this little girl's twin, Gomez?

Hunker - would depend with whom and in what context I was discussing a termination. I would never however use the term killed. Nor would I refer to the other foetus as the little girl's twin.

Caligula, I suspect you are the wiser one on consent/publicity issues. So, I'll bow to your expertise.

I think that if she wants to hold the NHS accountable, she will need to establish that there was a contract that guaranteed her 100% success rate in the procedure. And I for one have never been offered any kind of medical procedure (and I've had a few surgeries in my life) that didn't come with a list of risk factors. You know, if you want to have this baby at 38 weeks instead of 39 weeks, there is an x percentage chance of breathing difficulties, you might bleed to death, this might happen that might happen, sign you life away on the dotted line before we even agree to the procedure.... and so on. So, was there a guarantee????

Quite agree Hunker - about how much better if the choice didn't need to be made at all!

to me the issue here is the 21 year old outting a four year old through the trauma of knowing she should have been killed.
true, as a four year old, she may not understand, but as a tenyear old she will. and with her picture in the paper, thisis something she will never ever be able toget away from.

what happened when the girl was 16 isnt of any real consequence. its what she is doing to the innocent 4 yrold now that i have a problem with.

i am very pro cchoice. event hough i think that we should take the personal responsibility of knowing that it is assisted death.

OK before I comment on the issue of going to the papers I would firstly like to say that the posters on here who earlier in the convo used words such as murdered/murderer and killed/killer should be bloody ashamed of themselves, I am totally disgusted at the use of these words and can not believe that any sensible, mature adult would use such horrible, nasty, bitchy ways to describe someone who has had an abortion. I really hope that no one who has posted like that on here has a daughter who then has an abortion because you would then I expect be telling her she was murdering/killing someone, have a think about it.

Anyway, I think that this girl has been ridiculously stupid allowing her picture to be released to the press, I don't think she has thought about the implications it may have on her and her daughter. I would also like to point out here that she has probably done it on the advise of a legal rep who has thought it would be a good thing, they too should be ashamed of themselves.
I personally don't agree with what she is suing for but then I don't agree with most things people sue for, it is becoming too much of a get rich quick scheme. I do however agree that she has as much right to sue as the next person.

I think you have to take into account the advice she has recieved from her legal representation.

I too think this is awful. I have no problem with the mother having an abortion, but to tell the world how angry she is that it failed and to let her daughter be identified is outrageous.

IMO she is just doing it for the money. If she really didn't want the child she should have given it up for adoption.

She is only thinking of herself.

good post flutterbee.

Oh dear, hadn't read the whole thread. Well if having an abortion makes a person a murderer then I am one and I bet I'm not the only one here either.

I just don't why people think they know why she's doing it. We don't really know anything about this young woman. Seems like a case of good scapegoat to me. I wonder if she'd come in for such criticism if she was older and posher.

Me too then Callisto. Shocking that people still have that attitude this day and age.

I feel quite sorry for her tbh.