The United Kingdom is in the throes of arguing over specifics of an assisted suicide scheme, including whether “death coaches” should be assigned to people seeking to end their lives.
But now a new and potentially calamitous impact has been cited by opponents: the threat to the lives of pregnant women and the unborn.
It is the Christian Institute that has outlined to looming cloud.
“Peers have warned that Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide Bill endangers pregnant women and their unborn children,” the organization reported. “During the House of Lords’ fourth day of scrutinising amendments to Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide Bill, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson highlighted the vulnerability of pregnant women, prisoners and the homeless.”
The legal scheme would let patients considered terminally ill to get help killing themselves.
There’s no requirement for a woman to be tested to see whether she is carrying an unborn baby.
“Baroness Grey-Thompson emphasized that suicide is the ‘leading cause of maternal death during pregnancy in industrialized countries, and the leading cause of maternal mortality in the first twelve months after childbirth,’” the report said.
Further, there’s concern, she said, over “pregnant women who have recently given birth, particularly given the risk of post-natal depression and other pregnancy and maternity-related mental health conditions.”
In fact, Baroness O’Loan confirmed maternal deaths due to mental health problems are on the rise, and up to 30% of domestic abuse cases begin during pregnancy.
Lord Deben express concern that most concerning are the bill’s provisions that seem to be “saving money.”
For prison inmates, he said the message will be, “You’ll be better off and we’ll be better off if you make this decision?”
There still remain more than a thousand amendments proposed for the legislation that have yet to be considered.
Right to Life UK officials said the amendments now are getting less than six minutes of discussion apiece.
Spokeswoman Catherine Robinson stated: “It is simply not the case that Peers are wasting time, deliberately or not. If anything, these amendments are being rushed. The large number of amendments indicates just how poorly drafted the Bill was when it left the Commons.”
