Dominic Grieve, the Attorney General, will be under pressure today (9th October) to explain the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service not to prosecute two doctors revealed to be offering abortions based on gender.
The two doctors in question have had restrictions placed on their work and are being investigated by the General Medical Council, but were not prosecuted. The CPS decided it would not be in the “public interest”.
Concerns
In the wake of the decision several questions and concerns have been raised about the safeguards in the Abortion Act 1967 and Britain’s commitment to gender equality.
David Burrowes MP has referred to the CPS’ decision as a “dereliction of duty” and has organised a House of Commons debate.
Over 50 MPs from across the political spectrum have expressed concerns over the decision, which will be the subject of the Commons debate, taking place today (Wednesday 9th Ocober) at 2.30pm.
Failings
The failure to prosecute by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, has in the words of Conservative MP David Burrowes “exposed the holes in the safeguards in The Abortion Act 1967”.
Burrowes also said: “The decision confirms long held suspicions that the safeguards are routinely ignored or manipulated to allow the abhorrent practice of gender selection abortions and other discrimination against the unborn child.”
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