A woman has been jailed for 2 years for having an illegal abortion – how on earth is that fair

[Londonlisa2001]

I'm appalled - should have kept her in jail. She took abortion pills at 32-34 weeks by lying to medical staff over the phone that she was 6 weeks pregnant to get the pills through the post and gave birth to a dead baby.

Babies can survive after 26 weeks and over. 26 weeks with issues. 32 weeks is a completely viable and healthy birth. 34 weeks in an even better state.

I'm pro-abortion ( and pro death penalty) and a woman's choice, but not to that level.

No. They have ended in exactly the right place. Treated as an criminal offence (as it was done well after the legal cut-off) but shouldn’t be in jail. If nothing else as she acted with diminished responsibility and we don’t put people in jail if that is the case.

They should have referred her for psychiatric help, possibly hospitalisation if that was required, but putting her in jail was without benefit. Not least to her children.

And abortion at less than the legal cut-off (which could be considered as part of a review and I would have no objection to it actually being reduced to 22 or even possibly 20 weeks save in certain circumstances) HAS to be decriminalised which is a separate discussion of course.

I’m, by the way, absolutely against the death penalty in any possible scenario. No one has a right to take a life.