A British judge ruled in favor of an abortion for a mentally disabled woman and her unborn baby Friday at the request of the woman’s caregivers.
Though the woman, whose mental capacity is similar to that of a toddler, likely does not understand and her unborn baby also is defenseless and vulnerable, the woman’s doctors, case workers and foster family all believe an abortion is in her best interest, The Mail reports.
The woman is about 12-weeks pregnant with her unborn baby. She is in her 20s and lives with a foster family in the North of England, according to the report.
On Friday in the Court of Protection, Justice Williams granted her doctors’ request to perform an abortion, the report continues. The life-destroying act is expected to be performed this week.
Police said they are investigating how she became pregnant, and DNA tests will be conducted on the baby’s body after the abortion. They said she may have been raped, or she may have become pregnant by a man with mental disabilities who also was incapable of understanding the act.
Here’s more from the report:
Barrister Eloise Power, who represented hospital bosses, said the woman had lived with foster carers for most of her life.
Ms Power said the woman’s foster parents were Christians and churchgoers.
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But she said the couple were sure that an abortion was in the woman’s best interests.
Ms Power said medical specialists and council social workers involved also all agreed that a surgical termination was the right option.
It appears the woman has no one to advocate for her and her unborn baby, and abortions apparently have become the default option in difficult cases – trumping a baby’s life.
In a separate but related case, another British judge drew international outrage earlier this year when she attempted to force another mentally disabled woman to abort her unborn baby. An appeals court later overturned the ruling. In that case, the woman’s mother advocated for the life of her unborn grandchild as well as her daughter.
Last week, however, a judge ruled that the woman will be forced to be fitted with a contraceptive device after she gives birth to her child. The woman’s mother opposes the decision.
