Times article 100 women investigated over abortions

[Citrusandginger]

100 women and girls investigated over ‘illegal abortions’

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/1bec406a-867e-489f-b6e7-1a7fef7db054?shareToken=c22787400bec73c7ca91f0716b0314a0

Appalling story. It’s a hard read. A women was trying to resuscitate her premature baby was given no support by the police who were too busy “investigating” her crime.

Women really are hated. just baby carriers. Unfortunately, the article doesn’t say who is calling the police. As a HCP I sincerely hope that if any health staff are involved are dealt with by their professional bodies.

But if you take the example of the premature baby in the article, it says the mother was resuscitating the child so there was no ambulance crew. So how are the police contacted? I really wish the article had explored this further.

I take your point re palliative care, but I've always tried hard to make sure that GPs see patients within time for an expected death to prevent such issues. And if it's asbestos related, you can at least warn the family, and the police ime have been very professional and gentle in their approach.

It's almost as if women having miscarriages or abortions are guilty until proven innocent. Bad women.

I'm confused about that case. Did the woman ring for an ambulance and then the paramedics arrived and found the woman resuscitating her premature baby? Then they rang the police? Seems odd if she rang for an ambiance but police arrived instead. Do the police investigate every case of a late term abortion/miscarriage?

I don't think the article is giving all the information, so it's really hard to say.

But no, the police aren't involved for every miscarriage over 10 weeks. If they are there, someone has, rightly or wrongly, thought something untoward is going on.

The stories are horrific. Before the 1967 Act the woman sometimes died https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/fear-death-life-1967-abortion-act/ If the woman managed without medical care there was no-one to report it, if she did need medical care some health care staff would have been sympathetic and not reported it. Women knew it was illegal so they avoided telling anyone who might report them if they could.

If we want support for abortion to continue then those who knowingly terminate late pregnancies need to be prosecuted. The police need to be a LOT more careful about who they investigate and to do so more sensitively. There needs to be fewer phone consultations, more in person appointments too. One phone call and one visit should be manageable.

I've had several miscarriages, a few at 7 and 8 weeks, but three at 11, 12 and 13 weeks.

This is so worrying.

Relevant piece on the BBC:

Medics told not to report illegal abortions to police - BBC News