A new study published by a pro-life group has revealed that discriminatory 'gender-abortion' is occurring globally, including in the UK.
The Charlotte Lozier Institute, a U.S research group, has found worrying statistics of imbalanced gender ratios amongst certain ethnic groups, not only in the well-known case of China but across parts of Europe and the U.S.
"As Anna Higgins eloquently demonstrates in this latest paper, sex-selection abortion is a global problem, including here in the United States," Dr. David Prentice, director of research at Charlotte Lozier Institute, said.
"Legislators who abhor discrimination should move swiftly to enact laws that prohibit the lethal discrimination that is sex-selection abortion."
Huge gender ratio disparity
'Gender-abortion' refers to when a person aborts an unborn child based solely on that child's gender.
According to the Charlotte Lozier Institute, "prenatal discrimination can also be practiced pre-implantation by destroying embryos based on a per-implantation sex determination."
It is already known that China's male population outnumbers females, by around 33 million.
But statistics from the study showed that within the last 20 years, the gender ratio at birth of Asian-Pacific populations in the UK and the U.S. has risen sharply with a highly unbalanced male-based ratio. Such a disparity implies a rise in 'gender-abortions'.
It also evidenced that from 2000, a third of births in families of Chinese, Koreans and Indians in the U.S., who were foreign born and already had two daughters, showed a ratio of 151 boys to 100 girls.
Disparate gender ratios were also found in Europe —particularly in the region of Russia.
The findings have been revealed ahead of a hearing this week for a bill to make 'gender-abortion' illegal in the U.S.
Figures reveal problem in Canada
The findings of the study have been revealed at the same time as similar reports have emerged in Canada.
Marcelo Urquia and colleagues at St Michael's Hospital in Toronto tracked one million births through a decade of anonymised medical records from the province of Ontario.
They found that for Indian-born mothers who had two daughters already, their third child was a boy 66 per cent of the time.
The figures were compared with abortion records. If an Indian-born mother with two or more girls had also had one or more abortions, the odds 77% that the third child was a male.
This means at least one of the mother's abortions was likely a 'gender-abortion'.
In India, 'gender-abortion' is explicitly banned, but in Canada abortion is sadly available on demand.
'Gender-abortion' in UK
In the UK, two doctors were caught agreeing to 'gender-abortions' in 2012.
The undercover investigation by The Telegraph filmed the two doctors offering women abortions solely because the child was a girl.
Christian Legal Centre client Aisling Hubert has been campaigning to bring the two doctors to justice, but despite video evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case, saying it was "not in the public interest" to prosecute.
Aisling is to appeal the High Court's rejection of her application for Judicial Review.
At the time, CEO of the Christian Legal Centre Andrea Williams commented:
"Aisling's attempts to seek justice have been persistently undermined by the CPS. At all stages of this case, there have been major challenges, but Aisling has been determined to carry on and speak on behalf of the unborn child. We will continue to support her as she seeks an appeal."
Aisling's ongoing legal challenge has left her with legal costs amounting to almost £50,000! She is currently being chased for £25,000 of the costs.
'Disturbing'
Commenting on the findings of the Charlotte Lozier Institute's new study, Andrea Williams said that the figures reveal a disturbing reality.
"These figures reflect a very serious issue happening here in the UK, as well as elsewhere.
"Any loss of life due to abortion is a tragedy. But 'gender-abortion' is still illegal under the 1967 Abortion Act, and it is not only saddening but disturbing that they are being permitted in this country.
"This adds to the further injustice that the doctors who were filmed agreeing to this discriminatory practice were not prosecuted."
Related Links:
Ban lifted on 'gender-abortion' doctor
High Court's 'gender-abortion' ruling to be appealed
Related Coverage:
Records reveal gender-selective abortion taking place in Canada (New Scientist)
New Study: ‘Sex-Selection Abortion Is a Global Problem,’ Including in US (Daily Signal)