Peers must protect the unborn by overturning an attempt to decriminalise abortion, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool has said.
Archbishop John Sherrington is Lead Bishop for Life Issues for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference. He issued a statement urging the House of Lords to back moves to scrap the amendment and restore in-person appointments.
The Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently being debated in the House of Lords, includes an amendment (Clause 191) that would allow women to have abortions at any stage of pregnancy without sanction.
Archbishop Sherrington reported that Bishops “remain deeply distressed” by the amendment, which puts “women at greater risk as well as placing them at risk of coercion, as more women may use abortion pills to perform late-term, ‘DIY’ abortions. The amendment also threatens the lives of many more children, who could be aborted after the current 24-week limit.”
“This is a dramatic proposed change in the law which surveys suggest is strongly opposed by the British public. It also weakens protections for women and children even further.”
He emphasised: “Pregnant women often choose abortion out of desperation and isolation. They need compassionate support and legal protection to be able to care for themselves and their children.
“Decriminalisation does not meet any of these needs, which need to be better addressed by society.”