Maria Miller MP pressed the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the Government’s plans to end the harmful impacts of an 1861 law that criminalises women.
Speaking in the Health Secretary’s statement on the Women’s Health Strategy, Maria highlighted one of the ‘biggest healthcare injustices that women face in our country’, namely the potential threat of criminal investigation or even prosecution if a pregnancy ends.
‘Abortion is still treated under Victorian criminal law, with the most draconian laws in the world,’ Maria said, referencing the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 legislating for life imprisonment for abortion. The British law is harsher than that in Texas.
Women have been subject to lengthy criminal investigations after tragic, natural stillbirths and legally seeking abortion due to suspicions that they had illegally terminated a pregnancy.
Maria called for the Government to prevent women being unjustly persecuted by ‘expanding the Government’s own change in law in Northern Ireland to make sure that abortion is an issue between women and their doctors.’ Parliament voted to decriminalise abortion in Northern Ireland in 2019, and it is vitally important that English laws are made equivalent.
Maria emphasised how crucial it is ‘that every woman is protected from criminal investigation at a time when what they need from us is care and compassion.’
In his response to her question, the Health Secretary Steve Barclay said, ‘my Right Honourable Friend is right that there is a need for care and compassion, and she highlights an extremely important point. She will be aware, I’m sure, that we have the Sexual Health Review that is currently being conducted; that will report later this year and that will look into the issue that she raises.’
