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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Harriet Sherwood

Abortion prosecutions are never in the public interest, says royal college

Woman looking out of window on rainy day
Since 2022, dozens of women have been investigated for allegedly ending their pregnancies outside the legal requirements covering abortion. Photograph: Islandstock/Alamy

Doctors and other healthcare staff should not report suspected illegal abortions to the police as prosecutions are never in the public interest, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has said.

In an intervention on Monday that will trigger further debate on the decriminalisation of abortion, Dr Ranee Thakar, the president of the professional body, said “outdated and antiquated” abortion laws meant women were left vulnerable to criminal investigation.

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