The Case Against Abortion

The Age have reported that "A 42-YEAR-OLD woman died days after attending a controversial abortion clinic in Croydon last week".

It goes on to say that "Authorities have confirmed that the woman was taken to the Box Hill Hospital where she died on Sunday, after earlier having ''a procedure at a private Croydon clinic''.

According to the article,  the Coroners Court of Victoria's spokesperson said that "the death of the woman, from Sunshine, would be investigated".

This is the fourth investigation involving this particular clinic in six years.

Life Network Australia has been supporting a campaign for the month of December, following the tragic abortion of 32 week old twin boys. In light of yet another tragedy, we urge you to please email and phone Premier Ted Baillieu and Health Minister David Davis, as well as your local member - to voice your objection to the current Victorian laws that allow these situations to occur.  

1. Call Premier Baillieu (            03 9651 5000      ), the Health Minister, David Davis (            03 9096 8561      ) and your local member.

2. If you have access to a fax machine, please fax at them today

 Premier Baillieu - fax no 03) 9651 5054 and  David Davis fax 03) 9096 3373

Two teenagers hit the streets of Melbourne to find out what people know (...or don't know) about the current abortion laws in Victoria. Check out their responses! 

In part one, Mary and Hayley asked the public "How far into pregnancy is it legal for a mother to abort her baby in Victoria?"

In part two  - They asked "Is parental consent for minors required by law in Victoria?"

Please phone now (and again tomorrow) to express your dissatisfaction with the current abortion laws in Victoria 
Premier Ted Baillieu               (03) 9882 4088       

Email ted.baillieu@parliament.vic.gov.au 

Victorian Health Minister David Davis            03 9096 8561      

Email david.davis@parliament.vic.gov.au   

In July 2010, 31-year-old Filipina woman, Rechilda Moll-Sequitin, settled a lawsuit against her employer who allegedly forced her to abort her unborn child. The employer's company denied threatening her with dismissal if she failed to abort, but settled out of court after the court was told that Ms Moll-Sequitin had recorded the threats. (Check out the news report for details)

Pregnant Australian women have more to contend with than coercion in the workplace. Anecdotal evidence suggests that women may be treated just as badly in Australian abortion clinics.

Women’s stories reveal that clinics may not obtain proper consent (“I was really sobbing quite hysterically”), are often uninformed or misinformed (“…it was just a sack of cells”), and are not adequately warned of the physical and psychological risks arising from the abortion procedure. (See Ali’s story)

Up until recently, the courts have been the primary mechanism through which abortion has been made available to Australian women. Now, women coerced or harmed by the abortion industry have the opportunity to use the courts for compensation for their mistreatment.

Abortion Legal Support are a network of independent lawyers in Australia and New Zealand who believe women have a right to access the legal system with their abortion harm claims.

According to their website, ALS’ services include claims against clinics including:
• misleading and deceptive advertising by abortion clinics
• failure to inform of possible depression or other side effects of abortion
• providing little or no information as to development of the unborn child
• not offering an opportunity to view ultrasound imaging
• a counselling process which made a woman feel pressured to have an abortion
• a counselling process which failed to give a woman adequate time to work out their own wishes
• failing to identify that a boyfriend/ partner/ parent or some other person was pressuring a woman to abort.

Australian women deserve freedom from coercion, misinformation and lack of information. Perhaps it is time that those who have been mistreated send this message to the abortion industry – via the courts if necessary.