SW News: Pro-life groups in the United Kingdom are decrying the record number of abortions in the country. The official reports published on June 22, by the Department of Health and Social Care saw a 17 percent rise in abortions in the first half of 2022 compared to the previous year.
According to statistics, 123,219 abortions occurred in the six months from January 1 to June 30, 2022. This was an increase of 17,731 abortions from 105,488 during the same time in 2021. With 214,256 abortions occurring in the country for a full year, 2021 saw the most abortions ever recorded.
The data presented by the government is based on forms submitted to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Welsh CMO by clinics and hospitals providing abortion services. Since 2002, DHSC has released annual statistics on abortion.
The report depicted that 54% of abortions in the first half of 2022 were performed at home by Do It Yourself using the "pills by post" service. It also revealed that 1,428 newborns with disabilities were aborted in this period.
Meanwhile, various pro-life groups have decried the statistics addressing the figures as national tragedies. Catherine Robinson, a spokesperson for the renowned group Right To Life UK, said, "Every one of these abortions represents a failure of our society to protect the lives of babies in the womb and a failure to offer full support to women with unplanned pregnancies."
The pro-life group also decried that the report has come to light as abortion activists demand complete decriminalization of abortion, allowing the procedure for any reason up to birth.
To ensure that the gestation of babies can be accurately assessed, Right to Life UK requested the reinstatement of in-person appointments before all abortions, as well as a thorough investigation into the abortion provider who sent abortion pills to a woman whose baby was at least 32 weeks in gestation. The group is also urging the government to vehemently oppose amending the law to permit abortion up until the moment of birth.