Claim issued against abortion provider Marie Stopes for medical negligence after mental health deterioration following abortion

A WOMAN who had an abortion just over three years ago (Jan 2008) at a Marie Stopes clinic in the South West of England has issued a claim at the High Court for medical negligence and breach of statutory duty.

The woman, who prefers not to be identified, claims that she has not yet recovered from the ordeal that she went through at the clinic, and has suffered an exacerbation of prior mental health problems following the abortion.

She wants to know why her medical history was not addressed, why her moral and conscientious beliefs in relation to abortion were not respected and why she was not given any counselling. She believes that medical professionals at Marie Stopes were negligent in the way that they treated her.

The woman was not given any counselling before the abortion and states that she would never have decided to abort her baby, but was put under enormous pressure by her partner at the time. Incredibly, a counselling session (scheduled to take place before the abortion) was cancelled over the phone by her partner.

Her psychiatrist has confirmed her deep regret over the abortion.

Andrea Williams, CEO of the Christian Legal Centre, said:

“This was a woman in distress who was put on the abortion conveyor belt by Marie Stopes. Her partner was allowed to book the abortion and cancel the counselling session. She wasn’t given any counselling or space to allow her to consider what she really wanted. Even had she been given counselling by Marie Stopes, it is likely that this would have amounted to a mere talk through of the procedure, rather than a fair discussion of the other options available. Her case illustrates why there is such a need for the provision of independent advice to women in these circumstances.

“This lady is now suffering the consequences of an abortion that she deeply regrets. The law needs to protect women like her and give them time and space to think through what they are doing and assess the real impact of choosing whether or not to proceed with an abortion.

"This case demonstrates why Nadine Dorries MP and Frank Field MP's amendment to the Health and Social Care Bill is so important. Their amendment is pro-women and seeks to help women in similar situations. Their amendment will give women like the one bringing this case, the chance to make a fully informed decision on what will be one of the most important and life-changing choices of their life."