Criminal or a Health Matter?

Her children are being punished. I expect she wanted the abortion to give more care to her existing children.

I read this earlier and honestly couldn't believe it. Poor woman. How can anyone think a custodial sentence is appropriate?

Hard decision, but I’d leave her with her children, rather than punish them too.
They’ll already be being punished because of the publicity of this case.

I’ve just seen this on the BBC news. What a sad case. Of course the woman in question should have sought help sooner. I wonder why she didn’t, but I don’t know the circumstances. I certainly do not think she should have received a prison sentence. If the judge was obliged to pass such a sentence, I feel it should have been a suspended sentence. Now her children are without a mother and possibly there’s no father in the scene. For what?
Poor baby.
Poor mother.
Poor children.

So sad for everyone concerned. We don’t know the full circumstances, but I can’t see how a custodial sentence serves anyone’s interest, especially the other children.
The law concerned was an ancient one and sometimes such laws have a required minimum custodial sentences.
I do hope she gets the help that’s obviously needed.

I believe she received late health care because of the covid restrictions. It doesn't really matter. A custodial sentence is wrong. There are lots of actions going on about this. I wanted to create a post about it.
There's a march on Saturday in London, organised by the BPAS www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/time-to-act-tickets-646932551677?aff=odeimcmailchimp&mc_cid=30c9759ea8&mc_eid=14268b3b9e
And a call the health secretary phone action on Wednesday 9am
www.womensequality.org.uk/call_abortion_reform?utm_campaign=announce_eng_wal_mem_supps1206&utm_medium=email&utm_source=womensequality
The law used in this judgement was passed in1861

We have no information about why this woman did what she did. Had she pleaded guilty at an early stage her sentence would have been suspended. She deliberately destroyed her child. Without knowing more I cannot feel sympathy for her.

Poor woman. Obviously shes been desparate. Jail isnt the answer, too keen to imprison women in this country imo.

There doesn't appear to be much doubt about the fact that she broke the law, but it's the custodial sentencing that is highly questionable. Her 3 children will now be separated from their Mother for getting on for 2 years, even with good behaviour, so who exactly does that serve? Would it not have been possible to consider a suspended sentence? Inflexible and unduly harsh, IMO.

I dont see how a custodial sentence serves any purpose. Its horrendous.

I fear for her poor children..what an awful situation

A custodial sentence is completely inappropriate.

As for "guilt", I'd need to know far more about the circumstances.

But from what is in the O/P, I'd trust the medics.

It’s difficult to imagine this woman simply aborted her child on a whim. I gather from what I’ve read that it wasn’t the child of her partner - who knows what pressure she was under. What positive result will be served by her being imprisoned?

Based entirely on the limited information available to us, I feel that the sentence was entirely appropriate. She wasn't a teenager who didn't understand about pregnancy, she was a mother of 3 who deliberately lied. She knew how far along she was and yet still wanted to abort her unborn child. Whilst I have every sympathy for her other children they cannot be used as a reason to keep her out of prison

Does prison ever do any good? My granddaughter was born at 30 weeks and was an idividual with rights at 2 weeks old. The thought of killing her outside the womb or inside the womb I find unthinkable and fills me with horror.

SueDonim

It’s difficult to imagine this woman simply aborted her child on a whim. I gather from what I’ve read that it wasn’t the child of her partner - who knows what pressure she was under. What positive result will be served by her being imprisoned?

Indeed.

Its worth bearing on mind that the Minister for Women's Health Maria Caulfield MP has consistently sought to limit women's Abortion rights.

www.bpas.org/about-our-charity/press-office/press-releases/bpas-comment-on-maria-caulfield-an-mp-who-has-consistently-voted-to-restrict-womens-access-to-abortion-being-given-ministerial-responsibility-for-abortion-care/

I'm not thinking specific influence here, but a turning of the tide against Women's Rights to regard abortion in a punitive manner right at the top.

No sympathy for the woman from me. If she was savvy enough to know to order the abortion tablets at 32 weeks, why didn't she ask for them sooner?
Every sympathy for her 3 children who will be the ones who'll pay a high price for their mother's actions.
I have sympathy for her husband because she'd only just reconciled with him but failed to mention that she was carrying another man's child.
The most sympathy is for a dead baby who had no say as to whether she lived or died. RIP little one.

Strange that if she had had the child and killed it she would be guilty of infanticide and unlikely to be given a custodial sentence. www.claims.co.uk/knowledge-base/court-proceedings/infanticide-and-criminal-law#:~:text=Only%20a%20biological%20mother%20who,by%20either%20act%20or%20omission.

I find this an incredibly sad case. I feel so sorry for everyone involved. I sincerely struggle with the fact that some choose to be hard hearted to feel no sympathy for this woman. We don’t know the circumstances that led to this.

I am sure I’m not alone in feeling that abortions should be as early as possible and as late as necessary.

It's a terrible case. My first reaction when I heard about it was that it must have happened in Alabama or somewhere where women's rights are given low priority, and to discover that it was here in the UK was a shock, although I do feel that we too are seeing a reining in of the achievements of feminism.

When I realised that the termination happened at 34 weeks though, I began to wonder at what that actually means to the unborn child - it would have been very viable at that point, and presumably would have an awareness of what was happening.

I really don't think that jailing her is helping anything though. Her children will suffer, she is no danger to anyone and I really think that prison should be a last resort.

I wonder if there is more to this than we know.

Doodledog

It's a terrible case. My first reaction when I heard about it was that it must have happened in Alabama or somewhere where women's rights are given low priority, and to discover that it was here in the UK was a shock, although I do feel that we too are seeing a reining in of the achievements of feminism.

When I realised that the termination happened at 34 weeks though, I began to wonder at what that actually means to the unborn child - it would have been very viable at that point, and presumably would have an awareness of what was happening.

I really don't think that jailing her is helping anything though. Her children will suffer, she is no danger to anyone and I really think that prison should be a last resort.

I wonder if there is more to this than we know.

If feminism means the right to kill a baby at 34 weeks then I am not a supporter of feminism.

She killed her baby. I’m wholly in favour of her being severely punished.

I would have thought that this was a case where "The Balance of her mind was disturbed". It must have been or she would not have been driven to this terrible action. What she did will haunt her to her dying day, especially now that a Court of Law has labelled her as a criminal, rather than a woman driven to despair.

Granny23

I would have thought that this was a case where "The Balance of her mind was disturbed". It must have been or she would not have been driven to this terrible action. What she did will haunt her to her dying day, especially now that a Court of Law has labelled her as a criminal, rather than a woman driven to despair.

This is how I see it.

I also think that other women are likely to give her a bad time in jail, as they are separated from their own babies. She can't have been thinking straight to terminate a pregnancy at 34 weeks, can she? She must have been desperate, or psychotic or something. I really think she needs help rather than punishment.

And as I said upthread, I feel for the baby, too. It's a horrible case.