AMENDMENT NC1 CRIME AND POLICING BILL

This evening, I voted in favour of Amendment NC1 to the Crime and Policing Bill. Many vulnerable women have faced police investigations when they needed care, not criminalisation. In the last three years, six women in England have been charged with ending or attempting to end their own pregnancies outside abortion law, and police have requested medical records in suspected abortion cases about 100 times.

I believe it is not in the public interest for this to be a criminal offence. Outdated laws treat desperate women like criminals. For every woman prosecuted, at least ten others face prolonged investigations, blocking access to mental health support and sometimes separating children from their mothers.

This amendment will not change abortion time limits or provisions; it is about offering compassion instead of criminalisation. It specifically removes the threat of charges against women while maintaining:

- The 24-week time limit (or exceptions beyond that).

- The 10-week telemedicine limit established in 2022.

- The requirement for two doctors’ approval.

- The grounds set out in the Abortion Act 1967.

- The criminalisation of non-consensual abortion.

- The prosecution of anyone assisting illegal abortions.

This approach is backed by the World Health Organisation, five Royal Medical Colleges, UK abortion providers, and over 50 organisations, including women’s rights groups and charities focused on violence against women. This vote aligns us with countries like France, Ireland, Canada, and Australia.

I want to thank my colleague Tonia Antoniazzi MP for her leadership on this important issue.