As the anniversary of the Abortion Act’s passage is observed, a somber reminder emerges of the law’s profound impact over the decades. Right to Life UK highlights the staggering number of nearly 11 million abortions since the Act’s inception.
Marking 58 years since its royal assent on 27 October, the Abortion Act has led to an estimated 10,880,563 terminations, according to Right to Life UK. This figure was calculated using official data up to 2022, with projections for 2023-2025 based on the previous year’s statistics due to the absence of current data.
The organization further underscores the gravity of these numbers, stating that a baby is aborted every two minutes in Britain, averaging 31 terminations per hour.
The year 2022 saw the highest recorded number of abortions, a 17% increase from 2021. This rise is attributed to the availability of at-home abortion services, a trend that may be linked to post-lockdown dynamics. Despite the pandemic’s impact, the regulations allowing at-home abortions remain, which suggests the 2022 data might reflect future trends.
Currently, the House of Lords is deliberating an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that would decriminalize illegal abortions, effectively allowing terminations up to birth. This proposal, passed by the House of Commons, has sparked intense debate.
Crossbench peer Lord Alton described the amendment as a “grotesque measure,” criticizing it for turning a Bill aimed at addressing crime into a platform for extreme pro-abortion policies.
Right to Life UK, in alignment with Lord Alton, advocates for amendments to the Bill to overturn the Commons decision and reinstate mandatory in-person consultations before abortions.
Public sentiment appears to support these views, with polls indicating that only one percent of the British population favors legalizing abortion up to birth. Additionally, 70 percent of women prefer reducing the current 24-week limit to 20 weeks or less.
Catherine Robinson, a spokesperson for Right to Life UK, commented, “Our abortion laws continue to fail both women and unborn babies. Since the Abortion Act received royal assent in 1967, a devastating 10,880,563 lives have been lost to abortion, each one a precious, unique and irreplaceable human being who was denied the right to life.”
Robinson urges supporters to reach out to MPs and peers to advocate for stronger protections for both the unborn and pregnant women.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
