A mum-of-three has been jailed for 28 months after using abortion pills to end her pregnancy after the cut-off time.
The 44-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, appeared at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court today after pleading guilty to procuring drugs to induce an abortion after the legal limit.
British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), who provided the woman the pills, has slammed the court sentencing, and has joined campaigners in calling for abortion law reform in the UK.
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It's understood the woman received the medication in the post under a scheme which was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. It allowed pills which induce abortion to be sent by post after a remote consultation for pregnancies up to 10 weeks.
The court previously heard the woman terminated her pregnancy past that point, and admitted taking abortion pills after the legal time limit.
During the hearing, the court heard the woman was not aware of how advanced the pregnancy was as she was unable to attend a scan during lockdown, the Guardian reports.
Following the sentencing, BPAS said in a statement on Twitter: "Today, a mother-of-three has been jailed for 28 months after using abortion pills to end her own pregnancy. No woman can ever go through this again. We need abortion law reform in Great Britain NOW."
The woman pleaded guilty in March of this year to procuring drugs to induce an abortion under the Offences against the Person Act, legislation dating to 1861. She will serve half of her sentence in custody before being released on licence.
MSI Reproductive Choices, who run an abortion clinic in South Manchester, described the sentencing as a 'rare' and 'distressing' case.
Dr Sarah Salkeld, UK Associate Clinical Director for MSI Reproductive Choices, said: "This has been an incredibly distressing case for everyone involved. It is neither a compassionate nor a proportionate response to send someone to prison for ending their pregnancy. Nor is it in the public interest.
"This ruling could have repercussions for those who find themselves in unimaginably difficult situations, including unexplained pregnancy loss."
Stella Creasy, a Labour MP who is an outspoken campaigner for abortion rights, said: "It is an hangover from another era that our abortion laws are based not on healthcare considerations, but first and foremost criminal sanctions.
"This case shows that the failure to address this has very real modern day implications. In the light of repeated attacks on women's rights and the lack of compassion this case shows, its never been more urgent to ensure it is a formal human right of all women in the UK to access a safe, legal and local abortion if she chooses."
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