The Status on Abortion

Spanish against abortion

2008-10-10T03:02:00.002-07:00

I saw this photo in Extremadura in Spain.. when I was en route to visit Our Lady of Guadelupe there.

Abortion legitimised in Victoria today

2008-10-10T02:00:00.000-07:00

In a conscience vote today in Victorian parliament Upper House, 23 Members of Parliament voted in favor of a new bill to make abortion on demand legal & available up to 24 weeks and depending on the circumstance, up to birth.

17 MPs voted against it, but it wasn't enough.

For more info read here:
10.10.08: 'Abortion bill passes in upper house'
10.10.08: 'Abortion to be legal after MPs back controversial bill'

Up to 70 amendments are yet to be discussed.

One key issue is whether doctors will have the choice to deny abortions. With the bill as it is, while a doctor may refuse to do an abortion himself, he may be required to refer the mother-with-child to a doctor who will perform the operation.

5.10.08 : 'Pro-Life debate in focus'

Sood deregistered for 10 years

2006-10-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

Breaking news update on former doctor, Suman Sood...

The NSW Medical Tribunal have come to a conclusion after weeks of assessing 11 complaints relating to five patientes that were made against former abortion Dr Suman Sood.

The Tribunal found her to be "not of good character," as reported in SMH.

Since the Tribunal's finding, Sood has been banned from practising for ten years.

"This case shows very clearly a need to protect the public from an incompetent and dishonest medical practitioner, and assist to maintain public trust in the medical profession," the judgement said.

Sood is awaiting sentencing for being found guilty on two counts for illegally procuring a miscarriage in August.

Reportage:

October 6, AAP in SMH.

October 7, Ruth Pollard in SMH.

Canberra: John James Memorial to lose pregnancy termination services in sale

2006-10-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

29 September, 2006

Little Company of Mary, a Catholic health group that also owns Calvary private Hospital has bought John James Memorial Hospital in Canberra this week.

"IVF, pregnancy terminations and and sterilisation of men and women will be banned from John James because of the Little Company of Mary's religious beliefs,” Danielle Cronin reported in the Canberra Times on Friday.

In the same article it was reported that Little Company of Mary will control about 75 percent of the 364 private hospital beds in Canberra as it will run two of the three private hospitals in Canberra.

30 September, 2006

The Canberra Times reported that the John James Memorial hospital had been in "financial strife" and in defense of Little Company of Mary's decision, according to Catholic Health Australia chief executive Francis Sullivan, profit return was not a high priority for the Catholic Church when it comes to health care in the interests of the community.

Prayer vigil brings police

2006-09-24T04:20:00.000-07:00

(Left: Helpers of God's Precious Infants pray opposite clinic in Camperdown. Right: Visual display outside the clinic. Photos by Bridget Spinks).

Yesterday, the police were called to an abortion clinic in Sydney’s Camperdown after a complaint was made about a group who were holding a pro life prayer vigil out front.

Some were praying across the road and while others were directly in front of the clinic, with a pictorial display (some of which is displayed above).

As the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants are a volunteer group, they do not have a spokesperson as such.

One member of the vigil who has been standing outside this particular clinic (that also provides vasectomies and contraception services such as IUDs and the implanon), for what will be 10 years next year, Gail Instance said that there was a complaint made that there was a man shouting and yelling through the door of the clinic.

“The police came and went in and questioned the person who had been spoken to previously on the footpath. And the policeman came out, having spoken to the man, and said [to us] that he backs up what you say - that you were not shouting or screaming,” she said.

According to Mrs Instance, this is not the first time the police have been called down for reported complaints. The Helpers of God’s Precious Infants now have a video camera to record anything that goes on.

“The stereotype [in the media] is that we’re violent, and we push them and shove things in their faces. Ninety nine percent of the time, more than that, the police are called because there’s an unfounded complaint. There were no charges laid, and the police left,” she said.

The New York story of the Helpers of God's Precious Infants

Yesterday’s vigil outside the abortion clinic also showed that the issue of abortion is not only a local issue but one of global proportions.

Humphrey (no last name given) is a property manager in New York, but also attends Helpers of God’s Precious Infants vigils in New York. He attended yesterday’s vigil.

While on holiday in Sydney, he wanted to participate in Catholic charity work as well such as pro life prayer vigils.

The Helpers of God’s Precious Infants in New York pray in four parts. Their vigil begins with Mass, followed by a procession behind the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the abortion mill, where they establish a prayerful, peaceful presence and pray the Catholic rosary. It concludes with Benediction.

Humphrey does this for the conversion of hearts to be pro life.

“Life begins and has dignity at the moment of conception and we pray for life,” Humphrey said.

Who is Suman Sood

2006-09-21T04:27:00.000-07:00

A blog to help discussion and coordinate facts on the state of abortion in Australia would not be complete without an attempted account of the now notorious abortion doctor (in Sydney at least), Suman Sood.

Below is an update on the media coverage in the last month on the findings of the Sood case, as well as a pointer to what the implications are of the legal view of abortion in Australia, as it stands today.

The SMH has been on her case since her hearing began 18 months ago, with titbits of updates scattered here and there. In August, her conviction made front page news, and at the start of this month, an insight piece appeared in the Herald that chronicled complaints that were made to the Medical Board from 5 different patient’s narratives.

Despite complaints made against her in the past, Sood has been allowed to continue to practise. The focus of the Herald pieces has been concerned with the health of Sood’s patients, and not in the abortion debate however.

What has Sood done that has put her in the spotlight?

In August this year, Sood was found guilty, of illegally procuring a miscarriage in May, 2002. In NSW, procuring an illegal abortion carries a maximum 10 years jail sentence.

29 August 2006: Damien Carrick reporting on the ABC Law Report discussed the case with SMH court reporter, Geesche Jacobsen and the usage of criminal law with ethicist Leslie Cannold and also lecturer at Sydney University Law School, Kristin Saville.

Carrick reported, “in light of the Sood case, the New South Wales Health Minister has announced a review of the way the Board handles complaints against doctors. But the government has also ruled out any changes to the criminal law.”

The interviews on the program with Cannold and Saville discuss how the termination of a foetus is still in the Crimes Act. The other issue is how the law (still) views abortion as a crime. The "only way in which you [the doctor] can escape criminal prosecution is if the doctor forms a reasonable belief that the abortion was necessary for the physical and mental health of the woman," according to Cannold on the same program.

As well, according to Saville, ‘the Crimes Act Section 33 criminalizes acts which are maliciously done and cause grievous bodily harm”

Listen or view transcript HERE.

Recent History of Suman Sood in the SMH

31 Aug 2006: Suman Sood “has withdrawn her registration to practice (abortions) in NSW,” Justin Norrie reports in SMH today.

Norrie also reports that this is the first time an incident like this [withdrawal to practise] has happened in 25 years. Norrie reports that Sood “was cleared of the manslaughter of the baby, delivered in a toilet at 23 weeks in May 2002.”

1 September 2006: Jacobsen reports that “By 2001, the board said Sood was the abortion doctor who attracted the most complaints. But she was allowed to continue operating. If it was the patient’s word against the doctor’s, it seemed Sood got the benefit of the doubt. Again and again and again.”

See Insight by Geesche Jacobsen on to read and make sense of the full stories.

12 Sept 2006: Sood refused registration to practice as a doctor by three other states: Queensland, Western Australia and Northern Territory, Geesche Jacobsen reported in SMH today.

The Medical Tribunal hearing into 11 other complaints continues.

Jacobsen reports also, that Sood is “awaiting a retrial” on charges of Medicare fraud.

15 Sept 2006: AAP Reported that the date of her sentence has not yet been fixed as complaints are still being heard.

Updates to follow of the case at hand.

Pro Life Network spokesperson causes stir on Sydney Uni

2006-08-29T00:59:00.000-07:00

A 'voice in society' has helped Pro Life Mississippi 'change a culture' that supports abortion.
Like slavery was of yesteryear, abortion has been described as the human rights issue of our day in controversial forum at Sydney Uni earlier this month.
(Right: Terri Herring. Photo by Bridget Spinks).

Bridget Spinks reports.

A mass of chanting students who protested at Sydney University compelled pro life speaker Terri Herring’s presentation to be moved from a lecture theatre on campus, to find sanctuary in the Catholic Chapel of the Resurrection on City Road.
The Sydney University Catholic Chaplaincy Convenor had already decided however that it was safest to move her to the Chapel in advance, to avoid any potential exposure to abuse from the protest.
Regarding the protest that ensued during the presentation, Convenor Robert Haddad said it was 'persecution.'
"But it was good for our student body. It brought us closer together in unity,” Haddad said.
The controversial speaker was Pro Life Mississippi's President Terri Herring, who with her network, has been a successful driving force behind incrementally changing 1973 Roe v Wade legislation that effectively made abortion ‘on demand’ legal in the United States.

FOR the past three years, Herring has been president of Pro Life Mississippi but is starting to expand it into a Pro Life Network, growing the movement nationwide to include and implement her ‘accomplishments’ into other states.
“The pro life movement is not going away. I think over 33 years we’ve gained strength. Despite what we saw today, the pro abortion movement is not growing, because as we expose the humanity of the unborn, people are becoming more pro life,” she said.
Offering advice on how to get more people behind the pro life cause, her message is to get people to appreciate what abortion does and to move them to become more compassionate and foster a pro life attitude.
“I still think that there are many more Australians who are pro life that are untapped so to speak – they’re pro life they’re just not saying anything, they’re not doing anything. Part of the goal obviously, is to reach those who are already pro life and to compel them to be moved with compassion. And when you’re moved with compassion, I believe it should compel you to take action,” she said.
Herring believes that abortion is a ‘heart’ issue. Her overall goal has been to influence society by having a voice to “educate the heart and mind about the humanity of the unborn.”
“I think it’s important to educate the government. So, my main influence has been through our state government but the state government has given me a voice,” she said.
“Lobbying the state government gives us a voice and that voice educates. So ultimately, as we saw today [the Pro Choice Protest] if you don’t have an opportunity to have a voice in the culture then there is no persuasion,” Herring said.

THE state of Mississippi once had seven abortion clinics, but is now down to one.
Herring attributed the closing of the clinics to a number of things, amongst them was shifting cultural attitudes.
“Nobody’s going around today saying, “Gosh I wish I could own a slave.” Why? Because that’s not a popular thing to say. Herring said.
“It’s becoming less popular to be adamantly pro abortion [and] becoming a little more popular to become compassionate towards unborn children as we see a window to the womb through the sonogram and ultra sound,” she said.
“When women become pregnant, there’s a responsibility and honour that goes with being a woman. And to encourage them to not bear the children they conceive is really no compassion at all. I believe its truly misplaced compassion,” Herring said.
“I think we’ve made it unpopular and there’s a constant steady pressure in Mississippi that condemns abortion. But it hasn’t been one thing. It’s been a networking of helping women,” she said.
Part of her network, has been organising Crisis Pregnancy Centres (CPCs) that ‘help women choose life.’
Legislation changes that limit the accessibility of abortion and have led to declining customer numbers have also contributed to clinics closure, according to Herring.
The 1992 Supreme Court ‘Casey Decision,’ was a piece of key legislation in the United States. It has allowed ‘parental consent,’ and ‘informed consent,’ Herring said.
Parental consent or notice requirements (where consent of one or two parents is required if a young woman under the age of 18 was to have an abortion) are enforced statutes in 33 states in America, according to the Centre for Reproductive Rights.
‘Informed consent,’ requires that women receive information about the physical dangers of undertaking the surgery of abortion, and also receive information about their unborn child.
While the law cannot force her to take the information, she must be offered it and sign for it.
“It also included with informed consent, a 24 hour waiting period, and that’s important because it give women the opportunity to simply take a moment to consider the ramifications of having an abortion instead of rushing in, in fear and making a mistake that she might regret the rest of her life. And I believe she will regret,” Herring said.

WHILE the Centre for Reproductive Rights refers to consideration of a 'trend' of Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws, Herring talks of their attacking of the premise that abortion is not as ‘safe’ and legal as it claims, as another contributing factor to the closing of clinics in Mississippi.
“What we saw in Mississippi was that the abortionists were setting up shop in some small house somewhere, and even though abortion was ‘safe’ and ‘legal’ we attacked the premise that it was actually ‘safe,’” she said.
“So we required the clinics to come up to a medical standard and make it a little less profitable...We passed regulations that the doctors had to comply with,” Herring said.

AS more people are outspoken, Herring believes that Australia could follow America’s suit.
“Any gains that we make bring us forward, and I think that’s what we’re doing – we’re continually making progress to make it less popular. Ultimately, what do we want? We want our laws to change, but ultimately we want people to feel that abortion is not the answer - that it can’t be the answer, [and that] there are other choices.
“And as a society, as a nation, as a people, we encourage women to choose life, because we know that’s what’s best for her and her unborn child. So that’s a different cultural mentality than we have right now,” Herring said.

NOTE
Terri Herring was on an Australian tour thanks to Right to Life Australia this month.

The topic is Abortion

2006-08-07T23:10:00.000-07:00

The topic of abortion is wide ranging and there are thousands of experiences and personal meetings with it, that inform viewpoints on it.

There are multiple ways of approaching the subject. This blog will develop some common (reading) material to help inform a debate about it.

I know many people, and am friends with them, who are in pro life groups through familial circles of friends. Please don't shoot me for this.

While it may prohibit access to other sources (since these other sources could think it will preclude independence), it does not mean I am not interested in their views and don't try to get them. It’s hard. The topic is hard. It's a hard topic for some to speak about.

It divides the nation.

I write not to obviously privilege one view over the other but to report on the topic. Also to create a space where common ground might be reached and understanding gained.

Debate may flourish here and the blog is also for updates so that both stances can keep up to date on how the topic is progressing in Australia (but also around the world).

This is what I aim to do here.