--- PRESS RELEASE ---
21st June 2022
Contact Bernadette Smyth
02890278484 / 07956451655
Precious Life condemn NI Secretary of State as abortions reach record high
Northern Ireland’s leading pro-life group Precious Life has condemned the NI Secretary of State’s plans to force more abortions - including 'DIY Home Abortions' - on Northern Ireland. This follows publication of the latest abortion statistics released by the Department for Health, which show the highest number of abortions since records began. 214,869 babies were killed by abortion in England and Wales in 2021. 3,370 of these babies were killed on the grounds that the child may have been disabled. 859 babies were killed because they had Down’s syndrome, and 40 babies were killed simply because they had cleft lip or cleft palate – a condition that’s easily treated. 88 babies were killed by ‘selective’ abortions because they were a twin or triplet. The figures also reveal that 161 babies with mothers from Northern Ireland, were killed by abortion in England. This significant rise in the number of babies killed in 2021 is likely down to this being the first full year that so-called “DIY home abortions” have been operating in England and Wales. The Express Newspaper recently reported on the “Abortion Pill Horror” in Britain that has resulted in more than 10,000 women requiring hospital treatment over side effects of so-called “DIY abortion pill” at home. A new study has revealed that more than 1 in 17 women, around 20 a day, who used the "abortion pills by post" in 2020 needed hospital treatment. Spokesperson for Precious Life, Bernadette Smyth said, “These latest abortion statistics are truly horrifying. They reveal that almost 600 babies were killed EVERY DAY in England and Wales. This highlights the hypocrisy of the UK Government - who throughout 2021 were still telling us to “save lives” – yet they allowed 214,869 little babies to be killed. “The latest abortion figures for Northern Ireland show that between 31 March 2020 and 31 January 2022, a total of 2,794 babies were killed here. That’s approximately 30 babies killed each week. “Yet the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, wants more abortions here. He has used his power to seize control of abortion from the NI Assembly to force more abortions on Northern Ireland, and has indicated he also wants to legislate for ‘DIY home abortions’. “Brandon Lewis is ignoring not only the deaths of the babies killed by these abortion pills, but also ignoring the horrendous side effects caused to women. And now he wants women in Northern Ireland to suffer a similar fate.” Bernadette Smyth concluded, “Brandon Lewis and his Westminster Government have already presided over the killing of 214,869 babies in England and Wales. And yet they want more abortions here even though the legislation they forced on Northern Ireland has now resulted in the deaths of 2,794 innocent babies. Even one death by abortion is one too many, but 2,794 is shocking. Every child deserves to be protected from the barbaric practice of abortion and every woman in an unexpected pregnancy deserves genuine life-affirming healthcare. Women in Northern Ireland deserve better than abortion. Precious Life will continue campaigning to protect mothers in Northern Ireland and restore personhood and full legal protection for their unborn babies."