BPAS, the UK’s largest abortion provider, has launched a new attempt to decriminalise abortion – by hijacking the Domestic Abuse Bill going through Parliament. “This is a frankly desperate attempt by BPAS,” said SPUC’s Alithea Williams. “Their amendment is muddled and makes little sense. However, it shows that the abortion lobby never gives up. And we must be ready to fight back.”

BPAS launched an email feature on their website yesterday for their supporters to “ask your MP to support an amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill to decriminalise abortion and protect pregnant women in abusive relationships.”

At the time of writing, no such amendment has been tabled in Parliament. However, the email that BPAS supporters are being asked to send to MPs says that the cross-party amendment “would remove the criminal penalty attached to abortion, protecting vulnerable women from prosecution, while also making it easier to prosecute violent partners who end a woman’s pregnancy without her consent.”

The report stage of the Domestic Abuse bill is due to be debated next week in Parliament.

“This new plan to hijack the Domestic Abuse Bill is a frankly desperate attempt by BPAS,” said Alithea Williams, SPUC’s political assistant. “Their proposed amendment is muddled and makes little sense. Most of their arguments seem to be about home abortions, rather than decriminalisation, and some of what they state about the current legal situation is simply incorrect. This seems to be a knee jerk reaction to the news that Christian Concern has been granted leave to pursue a judicial review against the Government on home abortions.

“However, it shows that the abortion lobby never give up. They are not prepared to let go of the power to send women abortion pills in the post, which the Government has said all along is a temporary measure. So they are trying everything, even to the extent of hijacking such an important piece of legislation as the Domestic Abuse bill.

“Domestic abuse is a scourge on society, and it is appalling that BPAS are willing to put abortion drugs into the hands of abusers in order to pursue their radical abortion agenda,” Miss Williams concluded. “They do not give up, but we too will never give up on the fight to protect unborn babies and their mothers from abortion.”

SPUC will be alerting supporters to take action.