European abortion standards lowered - Cleft Lip/Palate Abortion

[Comrade]

Interesting story of how Europe is beginning to view cosmetic defects in a child (cleft palletes) reason enough for a late term abortion, even though it's a simple surgical proceedure to rectify at birth.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1439312,00.html

Cleft lip abortion done 'in good faith'

James Meikle, health correspondent
Thursday March 17, 2005
The Guardian

Doctors and health officials will consider whether more guidance on abortions is needed following the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service not to prosecute two doctors who authorised a late abortion on a foetus with a cleft lip and palate.
Jim England, the chief crown prosecutor for West Mercia, said the doctors believed, in good faith, that there was a substantial risk the child would be seriously handicapped. "In these circumstances, I decided that there was insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that there should be no charges against either of the doctors," he said.

The inquiry began after a legal challenge over a previous decision by police not to charge the doctors involved in the abortion carried out, in 2001, on an unnamed woman from Herefordshire who was more than 24 weeks pregnant.

Joanna Jepson, 28, now at St Michael's Church, Chester, but then a trainee vicar, found out about the procedure in 2002 when studying abortion statistics and suggested that it amounted to unlawful killing.

Yesterday Ms Jepson said: "While I'm disappointed about the CPS's decision to drop the case, I am pleased the case has raised the issue of late-term abortion and the plight of disabled babies in late-term pregnancy. It has exposed grave discrimination and I will be seeking legal advice."

She said she might try to get clarification from the courts about whether unborn children in the third trimester have got human rights and what constituted "serious handicap".

She might consider whether to re-open a judicial review of the first decision not to prosecute. This was stayed after police decided to conduct a second inquiry into the case, admitting the initial decision was not based on a full investigation.

Ms Jepson was born with a congenital jaw defect, uncorrected until her teens, and her brother has Down's syndrome. Her lawyers had argued that a cleft palate could not be considered as a severe disability.

The prosecutor's decision coincides with heated debate over whether the 24-week limit on terminating pregnancy should be reduced. The 1967 Abortion Act allows for later termination if two doctors decide a child would be seriously handicapped.

The Department of Health would not comment on the case but the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology said it knew the doctors "were acting in good faith and within the current legislation," adding: "We now need to consider whether further guidance is needed."

Ann Furedi, chief executive of the abortion care organisation Bpas, said: "This is very good news. We were very concerned at the prosecution because this situation arose because somebody who had nothing to do with the particular case took this case to court claiming an offence had been committed."

She added: "Rather than leap into court or the papers, we need to take stock of the circumstance in which women and doctors make decisions around abortion."

The Cleft Lip and Palate Association accepted the CPS verdict.

"Our concern was that if it was beyond all doubt that all it was a cleft lip and palate, then we could not understand why a decision to terminate had been taken," said the chief executive, Gareth Davies.

Hereford County Hospital's management, where the abortion was performed, reported "many expressions of support" for staff.

The allowable murder of any undesirable children due to cosmetic defects was also a policy of which previous regime in Europe?

 

[dmp]

wow...I posed this story at 03-17-2005 06:37 AM, too! I'll delete mine...hehe



But...what a HORRIBLE story. I swear, the more I read this, the harder I pray for biblical Prophecies to be fulfilled...I'm tired of living in such a wretched world.

 

[SmarterThanYou]

Heres my problem with this. I hear all this whining and moaning about how other countries don't have a say in how we run our country, in fact people talk about wanting to charge two supreme court justices for talk of 'international law' yet some people feel we can interject our position on other countries. why is that?

 

[dmp]

Heres my problem with this. I hear all this whining and moaning about how other countries don't have a say in how we run our country, in fact people talk about wanting to charge two supreme court justices for talk of 'international law' yet some people feel we can interject our position on other countries. why is that?

My problem is not the country - it's the lack of morality on the part of doctors and citizens of the world.

It's a HORRIBLE story...about the needless murder of a child.

 

[SmarterThanYou]

My problem is not the country - it's the lack of morality on the part of doctors and citizens of the world.

It's a HORRIBLE story...about the needless murder of a child.

but wouldn't it be that countries responsibility to delineate the morality of their doctors and citizens? people here seem to think that its the governments responsibility for doing the same here.

and yes, it is a horrible story.

 

[Comrade]

but wouldn't it be that countries responsibility to delineate the morality of their doctors and citizens? people here seem to think that its the governments responsibility for doing the same here.

and yes, it is a horrible story.

I don't expect Europe will revise their law or morality based upon our loathing for some of their more questionable child terminations. The problem is that their morality is slipping so fast on the abortion issue that even the law is not being upheld properly...

Doctors and health officials will consider whether more guidance on abortions is needed following the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service not to prosecute two doctors who authorised a late abortion on a foetus with a cleft lip and palate.
Jim England, the chief crown prosecutor for West Mercia, said the doctors believed, in good faith, that there was a substantial risk the child would be seriously handicapped.

Seriously handicapped because of an easily operable hairlip?

Sheesh. I mean the respect for the letter of the law is nonexistant, and the worst part is you don't hear one peep of outrage in their left-monopolized media, which is something you'd certainly have in the U.S.A.

 

[MyName]

but wouldn't it be that countries responsibility to delineate the morality of their doctors and citizens? people here seem to think that its the governments responsibility for doing the same here.
and yes, it is a horrible story.

THE POINT, Smarter, is that its a lack of personal responsibility. and YES, it IS a horrible REALITY.

 

[SmarterThanYou]

THE POINT, Smarter, is that its a lack of personal responsibility. and YES, it IS a horrible REALITY.

No, the POINT was about abortion standards in europe compared to here.

 

[MyName]

Perhaps. But the true point is a horrible lack of personal responsibility.
And you frigging know it.

But hey, stay in your dream world attaching yourselves to viewpoints only when they suit you. It's your right.

 

[no1tovote4]

How can anybody not hear their soul screaming when they read that a child was killed because of a cleft palate?

What is wrong with these people?!

 

[MyName]

What is wrong with them is a lack of personal responsibility pure and simple.

Hey anything less than perfect and lets just trash it. Well the last time I checked I havent found ANY perfection on this planet.

But hey, dont listen to me....I tend to be wrong

 

[Eightball]

Was this right? I don't think so.

My youngest son is finishing his first year of Med school. I sure hope he never involves himself in anything like this. Seems like tiny incremental steps are happening that are inevitably leading our "civilized" cultures, towards infanticide and Euthanasia.

By the way, I say, "civilized" cultures with a lot of doubt.

If we don't have DNA/genetic perfection, it's into the trash can with it.

Regards, Eightballsidepocket



http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1439312,00.html

Cleft lip abortion done 'in good faith'

James Meikle, health correspondent
Thursday March 17, 2005
The Guardian

Doctors and health officials will consider whether more guidance on abortions is needed following the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service not to prosecute two doctors who authorised a late abortion on a foetus with a cleft lip and palate.
Jim England, the chief crown prosecutor for West Mercia, said the doctors believed, in good faith, that there was a substantial risk the child would be seriously handicapped. "In these circumstances, I decided that there was insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that there should be no charges against either of the doctors," he said.

The inquiry began after a legal challenge over a previous decision by police not to charge the doctors involved in the abortion carried out, in 2001, on an unnamed woman from Herefordshire who was more than 24 weeks pregnant.

Joanna Jepson, 28, now at St Michael's Church, Chester, but then a trainee vicar, found out about the procedure in 2002 when studying abortion statistics and suggested that it amounted to unlawful killing.

Yesterday Ms Jepson said: "While I'm disappointed about the CPS's decision to drop the case, I am pleased the case has raised the issue of late-term abortion and the plight of disabled babies in late-term pregnancy. It has exposed grave discrimination and I will be seeking legal advice."

She said she might try to get clarification from the courts about whether unborn children in the third trimester have got human rights and what constituted "serious handicap".

She might consider whether to re-open a judicial review of the first decision not to prosecute. This was stayed after police decided to conduct a second inquiry into the case, admitting the initial decision was not based on a full investigation.

Ms Jepson was born with a congenital jaw defect, uncorrected until her teens, and her brother has Down's syndrome. Her lawyers had argued that a cleft palate could not be considered as a severe disability.

The prosecutor's decision coincides with heated debate over whether the 24-week limit on terminating pregnancy should be reduced. The 1967 Abortion Act allows for later termination if two doctors decide a child would be seriously handicapped.

The Department of Health would not comment on the case but the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology said it knew the doctors "were acting in good faith and within the current legislation," adding: "We now need to consider whether further guidance is needed."

Ann Furedi, chief executive of the abortion care organisation Bpas, said: "This is very good news. We were very concerned at the prosecution because this situation arose because somebody who had nothing to do with the particular case took this case to court claiming an offence had been committed."

She added: "Rather than leap into court or the papers, we need to take stock of the circumstance in which women and doctors make decisions around abortion."

The Cleft Lip and Palate Association accepted the CPS verdict.

"Our concern was that if it was beyond all doubt that all it was a cleft lip and palate, then we could not understand why a decision to terminate had been taken," said the chief executive, Gareth Davies.

Hereford County Hospital's management, where the abortion was performed, reported "many expressions of support" for staff.

 

[Bonnie]

Oh no..there is no slippery slope syndrome here.

 

[Eightball]

Oh no..there is no slippery slope syndrome here.

What do you think of the "done in good faith", clause?

That's like saying, "I meant well". Or, "My intentions weren't sinister". :baby:

Hitler meant well, in his own estimation. I'm sure Eichman felt similarly.

Looks like we are gradually rewriting ethics according to man, minus, our creator's input.

Seems the liberal mantra is, has it prioritized this way, when making important decisions;

1. Feelings/emotions
2. then use brain or will or "chooser"

They prioritize feelings over common sense.......

Hey, I'm not slamming emotions........without emotion, human life woud be devoid of great creativity, and expression, but the old brain has to be given some priority, or we go off "half-cocked", and do stupid things like hand Hitler, a country to appease him........and we know how that worked.

So now it's, "Oh, my God"........my child won't have Tom Cruise's facial features/ sex appeal................I can't stand to live with that..................Abort-abort-abort-abort.

Bob Hope had a nose that you could ski off of...........look how his life turned out...........comedian/actor Joey Brown had a mouth that opened so wide it could have swallowed a blimp! etc.etc. etc. etc.

 

[5stringJeff]

I don't even think acludem, liberal that he is, could justify such a wanton taking of life.

 

[SmarterThanYou]

I don't even think acludem, liberal that he is, could justify such a wanton taking of life.

agreed, i've seen people with these minor disfigurements. easily repaired with surgery nowadays.

 

[dmp]

Repost - combining with post inprogress...

 

[theim]

This is exactly what happens when God is purged from society. What religion and spirituality provide is a bearing for one's moral compass. In a religious society, murder is wrong because that is God's law.

But in a hyper-secular society, there are no moral absolutes. There are only feelings and opinions. You may think murder is wrong, but that's your opinion, not moral fact. Man, not God is the controller of destiny and life on earth. If a woman gets pregnant and doesn't want to, she can get an abortion because she FEELS it will make her happier. If the baby will be mentally disabled, women can get abortions because they FEEL it will be a burden to raise them. If the baby is physically handicapped, it can be killed because the mother FEELS she doesn't want the trouble. If a 12 year old is sick, he can be euthanized because someone FEELS it will too costly to attempt to keep him alive. This is what happens when human feelings override morality.