The horror we and other pro-lifers predicted when abortion was forced on Northern Ireland by Westminster and Sinn Fein has come to pass.
Abortion statistics released by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland show that 2,792 lives were ended through abortion in the year from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, an increase of 624 (28.78%) from the year ending 31 March 2023.
This is the largest increase in Northern Ireland in a single year since abortion on demand was introduced to Northern Ireland and a 77% increase compared to the year ending 31 March 2021 when there were 1,574 abortions.
It is also the largest year-on-year percentage increase in lives lost to abortion in any region of the UK over the last 50 years.
The 2,792 abortions represent an increase of 624 (28.78%) from the previous year when there were 2,168 abortions. It also represents an increase of 77.38% compared to the year ending 31 March 2021 when there were 1,574 abortions.
There was a 61.70% increase in late abortions at 13 weeks and over. 76 babies were aborted at 13 weeks and over, up from 47 for the year ending 31 March 2023. This represents a 90% increase from the year ending 31 March 2022 when there were 40 babies aborted at 13 weeks and over. There were 48 abortions that took place in Northern Ireland that did not have a gestation recorded, so there were potentially more abortions that took place after 13 weeks.
There was a 56.25% increase in disability-selective abortions for ‘non-fatal disabilities’ that took place under ground E of the 2020 Regulations compared to the year ended 31 March 2022.
25 babies with ‘non-fatal disabilities’ were aborted under ground E, an increase of 56.25% compared to the 16 babies who were aborted during the year ending 31 March 2022.
Under ground E, babies with Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot can be aborted right through to birth. The gestations at which these ground E abortions took place are not published in the statistics.
There were 72 abortions for children under 18 years old, a 20% increase on the previous year. This represents a 56.52% increase from the year ending 31 March 2021, when there were 46 abortions where a child was under 18 years old.
The Belfast Trust performed the most abortions, carrying out 793 abortions, representing an increase of 125 (18.71%) from the previous year. The Northern Trust performed 610 abortions, representing an increase of 38 (6.64%) from the previous year. The South Eastern Trust performed 558 abortions, this represents an increase of 121 (27.69%) from the previous year. The Southern Trust performed 523 abortions, representing an increase of 108 (26.02%) from the previous year. The Western Trust performed 308 abortions, representing an increase of 232 (305.26%) from the previous year.
Despite abortion being a devolved issue, English, Welsh and Scottish MPs in Westminster voted in July 2019 to impose an extreme abortion regime on Northern Ireland. Because pro-death MPs for Sinn Fein don't take their seats, no MPs representing a Northern Ireland constituency voted in support of imposing the new regime.
The figures represent a very large increase compared to the number of abortions that were taking place in England and Wales for Northern Ireland residents prior to abortion being imposed on Northern Ireland, along with the small number of abortions that took place in Northern Ireland. This demonstrates that the introduction of an extreme abortion regime to Northern Ireland has likely resulted in the lives of many more babies from Northern Ireland being lost to abortion.
In 2018, 1,053 abortions for Northern Ireland residents were carried out in England and Wales, and 1,014 in 2019. For the year ended 31 March 2018, 12 abortions took place in Northern Ireland and 8 for the year ended 31 March 2019.
Carla Lockhart, MP for Upper Bann, said “I am calling on MLAs to take urgent action to bring forward legislation to Stormont to repeal this horrific abortion law that was forced on Northern Ireland by Westminster and return Northern Ireland to being a country with a strong pro-life law that protects and supports both lives – mother and child”.
“It’s heartbreaking to hear that 2,792 precious lives were lost to abortion in Northern Ireland and this represents a 29% increase”.
“This is the largest increase in Northern Ireland in a single year since abortion on demand was forced on Northern Ireland by Westminster. It’s also the biggest percentage increase in abortions in any region of the UK over the last 50 years”.
“The figures also show a tragic 62% increase in late abortions that were performed on babies between 13 weeks and birth”.
“A large number of babies with disabilities have also had their lives ended by abortion. Tragically in Northern Ireland, babies with Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot can be aborted right through to birth”.