WHERE IS THE MORAL OUTCRY?
The Case
A 21-year-old woman who bought abortion pills online and aborted her unborn child in Belfast has been handed a three-month jail sentence suspended for two years. She appeared in Belfast Crown Court yesterday where she pleaded guilty to two charges under sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861; namely, procuring her own abortion by using a poison and of supplying a poison with intent to procure a miscarriage.
Her aborted unborn baby boy was between 10 and 12 weeks old and was found in the bin of a house she shared with two other people. Her housemates described finding a “wee baby” who was “four inches long”.
As the leading pro-life group in Northern Ireland which has been fighting for the rights of unborn children for nineteen years and has managed to keep abortion illegal in Northern Ireland, Precious Life cannot in conscience accept this court judgment. Our legal advisers have written to Mr Barra McGrory QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, asking that this matter be referred back to the Court of Appeal.
Why we Cannot Accept the Court Judgment
Many people are struggling to understand why we have taken this step. Our reasons are as follows:
An offence under Section 58 is punishable with imprisonment for life or for any shorter term. An offence under Section 59 is punishable with imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years. The core purpose of sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 is the protection of unborn children. The unborn baby boy in this case is the silent victim, the little person, who has been pushed aside and forgotten in this media furore.
It is utterly heartbreaking, distressing, and a great injustice in today’s society, that a young woman would be driven to buy abortion pills, have an abortion, and dump her unborn baby in a bin. It is just as heartbreaking, distressing, and a great injustice that a woman would walk into an abortion centre or hospital, lie on an operating table, and have her unborn child ripped piece by piece from her womb and discarded, no matter how much that abortion cost and no matter where that abortion happened.
In this case, the young woman was taken advantage of by those anonymous predators who hide behind various sites advertising illegal abortion pills and taking money from vulnerable women who feel they have no other choice. But Precious Life is also thinking about that little baby who lost his life and was thrown into a bin like a piece of rubbish. Crying out about the neglect and injustice inflicted upon this little baby doesn’t make us cold, cruel, or wicked. We are simply doing what others may be too ashamed or too afraid to do. We are seeing it for what it is and calling it what it is: a crime.
We believe a three month jail sentence suspended for two years is unduly lenient, considering the nature of the criminal offence committed. For anyone who finds it difficult to accept this, imagine the muffled cries of a little ten week old baby thrown into a bin and left to die. If it is too uncomfortable for your imagination to stretch that far, imagine a little kitten battered and abused and left to die in a bin. Returning to the case at hand, by passing such a lenient sentence we believe that Judge McFarland undermined the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and undermined the seriousness of the crime of killing an unborn child. We are asking for this case to be reviewed because we fear that this judgment will set a dangerous precedent for future cases of illegal abortions in Northern Ireland. It is not about wanting to punish the young woman, but to honour the law and the protection of every human life.
Look at the Bigger Picture
We need to look at the bigger picture. What will this sentencing mean for women and unborn children in Northern Ireland? Far from deterring women from committing the crime, vulnerable women will not seek and receive the help and support they badly need to overcome the difficult circumstances they find themselves in, but would instead fall into the trap of going online and buying and taking illegal abortion pills. It will happen again and again. It will become mundane and lo and behold, we have abortion on demand. The shock and horror of finding an aborted baby in a bin, a bag of clinical waste, or sewer pipe, will be gradually washed away from the people’s conscience.
Bernadette Smyth and Precious Life have worked too hard and sacrificed too much to let this happen. That is why we are not accepting this judgment. We will keep fighting to ensure that the value and dignity of every mother and every unborn child is recognised and protected in Northern Ireland.