Lifesite News has reported that "New Zealand schools are coming under criticism from parents of teenage girls who obtained secret abortions arranged by school officials without their parents’ knowledge or consent".
An
interview in the Sunday Star Times revealed that one mother had learned of her daughter's abortion four days after the procedure, when she confronted her daughter about the "tearful breakdowns" she was experiencing. Friends of the girl informed the mother that the school had made arrangements for an abortion. The outraged parent told The Sunday Star Times that she was unaware that the school had the authority to do that. She said it was wrong that teachers were required to inform parents about minor behavioral or scholastic issues but to withhold information about a major surgical procedure like an abortion.
According to the
Sunday Star-Times, one teacher said that she "had seen parents become absolutely livid after finding out they had been kept out of abortion decisions".
Disturbingly, it is also possible that this situation is happening in Australia. With the 2008 Abortion Law Reform in
Victoria, underage girls now have access to abortion up until birth (with the signature of two doctors after twenty four weeks), without their parents knowledge or consent. There is also no legal requirement for abortion providers to report suspected child abuse. As in New Zealand , most parents are totally unaware of this.
Parents need to be very aware of who is providing their child with sex education at school, and what the content of this sex education is. On my own daughter's very first day at a new private school, I was stunned to see her bring an assignment sheet home, provided by Family Planning Victoria. This outlined contraception options for her "current or future use" (it is still illegal for fourteen year olds to be having sex!). The sheet also advised her to contact Family Planning Victoria for any further information. I was concerned to learn (via my own phone call) that Family Planning Victoria refer for abortion. It is not difficult to see, given the current legislation, how easily any teenager in Victoria (at least) could access abortion, without parental knowledge.
This situation has been happening for years in the U.S, where abortion providers had a business
strategy to become the 'sexperts' in the lives of teenagers and to provide girls between the ages of 13-18 with 3-5 abortions.
Related article:
Abortion law heartbreaking for parents :
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?
Comments
questions asked regarding whether the father was over 18 years of age, which would make the situation a criminal offence (ie it is illegal for an adult to have sex with a minor). But we are all meant to turn a blind eye when this sort of thing occurs, especially
when abortion is involved.