17 June 2010

Media Release

Abortion Statistics 2009

There were 17,550 abortions reported in New Zealand 2009. The statistics were released today by Statistics New Zealand. Right to Life New Zealand is pleased with the reduction of 390 abortions on the 17,940 abortions performed in New Zealand in 2008 which continues the downward trend over the previous two years. This is good news for our unborn children and their mothers. We believe the decrease is due to the increasing recognition in the community that abortion not only destroys an innocent and defenceless unborn child but is also harmful to the physical and mental health of women.

Women considering an abortion have a right to be offered the opportunity to view an ultrasound scan of their unborn child. It is believed that more women are now being given the opportunity to see an ultrasound scan. Right to Life believes that many women seeing their child with heart beating, complete with arms and legs moving in their womb, choose life for their child and refuse to terminate the developing child.

Right to Life is concerned about the lawfulness of many of the abortions authorised in 2009. The statistics for 2009 reveal that 98% of abortions performed were authorised on the grounds of serious danger to the mental health of the mother, this statistic has been constant since 1977. This conclusion on the unlawfulness of many of these abortions is supported by the judgment of Justice Miller delivered in the High Court in Wellington on 9 June 2008 in the judicial review of the Abortion Supervisory Committee. [ASC]

Justice Miller stated in his judgment that “In my opinion, the statistics and the Committee’s comments over the years since the Court of Appeal made that observation do give rise to powerful misgivings about the lawfulness of many abortions. They tend to confirm Dr Foster’s view that New Zealand essentially has abortion on request. Indeed the Committee itself has stated that the law is being used more liberally than Parliament intended.”

Dr Christine Forster was previously chairperson of the ASC from June 1993 to August 2001, a period of nearly eight years.

Right to Life believes that many innocent and healthy unborn children have been deprived of their life unlawfully; this is a grave injustice and a violation of their right to life. It also permits the exploitation and abandonment of women. This is the justice issue of our era.

Right to Life is also concerned at the number of repeat abortions in 2009, of the 17,550 abortions performed, 2023 abortions, 37% of the total were repeat abortions, the same percentage as in 2008. 4423, women were having their second abortion,1364, were having their third, 441, their fourth, 136, their fifth, 63 their sixth and 19 their seventh or more abortion. These statistics are a tragedy for the unborn child and for the women who have been used, exploited and abandoned.

It is pleasing that teenagers between the age of 15 – 19 had fewer abortions in 2009, There were 3873 teenage abortions a reduction of 224 on 2008.  There is clearly an urgent need for the introduction of chastity based education programmes into our secondary schools to replace the destructive Family Planning style comprehensive sex education programmes that promote the false “safe sex” message and promiscuity among our teenagers.

 Right to Life earnestly requests that the government promote a culture of life by promoting adoption as a loving life affirming option. It should also stop a culture of death by ceasing to require taxpayers to  pay for the killing of our unborn children.

ends

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