Undercover video footage has shown the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) approving the posting of abortive medication to a woman who said she wanted to terminate her pregnancy because she didn’t ‘want to look pregnant on holiday', which was interpreted as her not being 'emotionally ready'.
The footage was captured by advocacy group Christian Concern during a 'mystery shopper' investigation in which a woman posed as a caller seeking an abortion prior to going on holiday. The request was approved and the woman was sent the pills.
On the call, ‘Saskia’, is asked by a BPAS call handler and midwife why she is seeking an abortion, and she says:
"I’d be more than happy to have children in the future and stuff like that. And we’ve discussed that and we want children, but just not at this particular point in time because I’ve just, so we’ve just literally like booked a holiday and we were just like quite confined during the lockdown. And it’s been, I mean, we’re both all right, but it’s just been a bit emotionally draining, all these restrictions and everything. And we were just so looking forward to this holiday and I just want to… We just wanted to really focus on this holiday and just have a good time and not, I just didn’t want to worry about looking pregnant on the beach and all that. I just, it’s just so bad the timing right now."
The BPAS call handler asks when the holiday is and says: "you probably wouldn’t look pregnant?"
Saskia replies: “Yeah…I just don’t want to really deal with any aspect of the pregnancy just now at this point in time. And I was just, it’s not just looking pregnant. It’s probably just whatever, morning sickness and anything. I’ve been feeling, I mean, it’s been all right so far I just felt a bit queasy in the morning. And I just do not want to deal with that, with all of that right now."
The call handler then says: “It sounds to me that the individual reasons you’re giving come down to you just not being emotionally ready for a pregnancy right now.
“Any reason that you ever give is always going to be valid for you. So whether it’s physically, with regards to however you look or feel, with regards to nausea, again all your travel plans, it sounds maybe like a physical, emotional time that you’re not ready for pregnancy right now.
“I don’t want to put words in your mouth. What I have to do is attach what you tell me to a legal reason.
“Any reason other than the sex of the baby is a valid reason to us, but to attach it to a legal reason it sounds like emotionally it’s not the right time. Because it doesn’t necessarily sound like it’s financial, possibly slightly physical, it doesn’t sound maybe mentally like you’re not ready.”
Saskia agrees and says the timing isn’t perfect and the BPAS call handler says: “That’s absolutely fine.”
The abortion pills were received by Saskia shortly after.
In response to the investigation, Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said: “This is what the abortion industry wants. Abortion pills on demand, no questions asked. So it is sadly not a surprise that they are prepared to give out abortion pills for a bikini body. The life of the unborn child is worth less than a bikini selfie.”
“Abortion pills through the post is wide open to abuse and women’s lives endangered.
“The service needs to be stopped immediately and a thorough investigation needs to occur around the legality and practices of the two major abortion providers in the UK.”
In response to the footage, Christian Concern was keen to point out that abortion remains illegal in England and Wales unless specific grounds are met.
Following a double U-turn on the issue, the Government has chosen to allow at-home abortions to take place during the coronavirus lockdown via the ingestion of abortifacient medication.
This investigation comes after a judicial review was held on Wednesday 29th July, at the Court of Appeal, on the government’s decision to allow DIY abortions during the coronavirus lockdown.
