Exclusive: Pro-Abortion Campaigners Fear Medical Staff Could Be Prosecuted Under Law Changes

MPs are set to vote on changing the country’s abortion law on Tuesday but campaigners are split over just what alterations are needed.

Two Labour backbenchers have proposed altering the government’s Crime and Policing Bill with rival amendments to the draft legislation.

Both aim to decriminalise abortion, but the differences between their two policies have caused a major divide.

What is the difference between the two amendments?

1. Tonia Antoniazzi’s amendment

This amendment put forward by the Labour MP for Gower would stop it being a criminal offence for a woman to end their own pregnancy.

They would not be prosecuted for procuring or administering drugs, or using instruments, to cause an abortion.

This amendment would not include protections for medical staff or activists who aid the abortion.

2. Stella Creasy’s amendment

The Labour MP for Walthamstow’s amendment would decriminalise abortion up to 24 weeks.

Late-term abortions outside of the Abortion Act would also not result in custodial sentences. 

She wants to decriminalise abortion for any medical professionals who carry out the abortion with the explicit consent of the pregnant person too, as long as the pregnancy has not exceeded 24 weeks.

Fears for medical staff and activists

The charities BPAS (British Pregnancy Advisory Service) and MSI Reproductive Choices have publicly supported Antoniazzi’s amendment – and written to MPs calling on them to do the same.

But activists fear that amendment will only lead to the prosecution of anyone who helps someone get an abortion, such as activists and medical staff.

HuffPost UK understands that MSI have claimed it is “possible” medical staff or activists could be investigated under Antoniazzi’s amendment.

However, Emma Campbell, co-convenor for Alliance 4 Choice, told HuffPost UK that Britain should be wary of what happened when a similar law was unveiled in Poland.

“Once it was no longer legal to arrest the people [who were pregnant], they arrested the activists,” she warned.

She said she was “mystified” by the fact that BPAS and MSI were not supporting Creasy’s amendment, calling Antoniazzi’s amendment “dangerous”.

“It seems bizarre – they’re willing to play politics on abortion-seekers and their close ones’ lives,” she said.

BPAS told HuffPost UK that Antoniazzi’s amendment “would change nothing about abortion provision or the laws around medical professionals and activists.”

BPAS’ head of advocacy Rachael Clarke said: “All it would do is stop the prosecution of vulnerable women who end their own pregnancies outside the current law.

“Every organisation that represents medical professionals working in abortion care support this amendment, including all abortion providers in England and Wales, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Midwives, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, and the British Society of Abortion Care Providers.

“The uniting issue for all these groups is that women must urgently be removed from the criminal law on abortion – and that wider reform including that around the law related to medical professionals needs proper consideration and input from medical bodies and abortion care providers.” 

Confusion around campaigners

There’s also a clash between activists over Creasy’s amendment.

MSI told MPs it was written without abortion providers’ input, and suggested it did not have enough support to pass.

MSI has also warned campaigners it could set back the fight for full decriminalisation of abortion for a generation.

The same organisation wrote to MPs last week calling for them to withdraw their support for Creasy’s decriminalisation bill.

MSI has been contacted for comment.