‘I felt like a criminal’: Record number of women facing illegal abortion investigations

Published

1 year ago

June 17, 2024

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Sarah’s front room is filled with pictures of her smiling baby. He’s now 18 months old. But for almost a year, she was investigated on suspicion of illegally trying to abort him.

In January 2023, Sarah (not her real name) had just delivered her baby prematurely. She called 999 but before paramedics turned up, police came knocking at her door.

“The front room was just full of police,” Sarah tells Sky News. “I felt like a criminal.”

Her pregnancy was unplanned and she had considered a termination. She went to an abortion clinic but was told she was three days over the legal limit of 24 weeks.

“I wasn’t expecting to be that far gone,” she says. “I was hardly showing. It was a massive shock.”

When she got home, she panicked and started searching adoption, and adoption to friends and family, online. She even put abortion pills in her online shopping basket – but never bought them.

After a few days, Sarah came to terms with the pregnancy. But on the Monday morning, she wasn’t feeling very well and called in sick to work.

“Throughout the day, I’d had back pain and wasn’t getting any better,” she says. “And then at about seven in the evening, eight maybe, I went upstairs to the toilet… and he was here.

“I rang my husband who was downstairs to say ‘I think I’ve just had a baby’.”

He was born at 25 weeks, almost three months premature. He wasn’t breathing. His parents wrapped him in a towel and took him downstairs.

“He was blue in colour, there was no movement. It was horrible,” Sarah says.

When her husband rang 999, the paramedics gave CPR instructions on the phone. But before they arrived, the police came.

It was the start of an investigation that would last a year.

The police force involved said it “attended to assist medical professionals and ensure necessary statutory processes were followed” – as they would “with any involving the potential for the sudden unexplained death of a baby or a child”.

“It was quickly identified that there was information to suggest a criminal offence may have been committed,” the force added.

Sarah’s case was dropped earlier this year and is no longer active.

Her story comes as the British Society of Abortion Care Providers and the British Pregnancy Advice Service (BPAS) – one of the main licensed abortion clinics – today issue a statement saying women under investigation on suspicion of illegally abortions are “incredibly distressed” that a vote on abortion law won’t take place this parliamentary term.

“As soon as the new parliament returns in July, it must urgently act,” BPAS says.

Before the general election was called, MPs were due to debate abortion law.

Amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill aimed at stopping women facing criminal sanction for ending their pregnancy had been proposed.

‘A national scandal’

“There’s an increasing number of women who are facing investigation and suspicion that they have had an illegal abortion,” says Jonathan Lord, an NHS consultant gynaecologist and co-chair of the British Society of Abortion Care Providers.

Anecdotally, he knows of up to 100 women who have been investigated in the last year, which he says is “unprecedented”.

“What these women are going through and the horrific way they’ve been treated… it’s a national scandal,” he adds.

Dr Lord says he’s seen a rise in police approaching abortion providers for records and information about women who had considered an abortion.

Responding to police inquiries has become a “major” part of his job.

“In no other field of medicine would you expect the police to ask for medical records, they are confidential for a reason,” he tells Sky News.

The official numbers are lower than what Dr Lord reports, but still at record levels.

Between 2022 and 2023, 29 people in England and Wales were recorded as under police investigation on suspicion of procuring an illegal abortion – the highest in two decades.

And Freedom of Information data for Sky News shows there’s been a rise in the number of people taken to court for this offence.

Between 2010 and 2019, 17 cases reached court in England and Wales. Only six of those cases resulted in a conviction. That’s about a third.

But in just a few years, between 2020 and 2023, 11 cases went to court. Almost half of those (five) resulted in a conviction.

An illegal abortion is any attempt to procure a miscarriage where it’s not signed off by two doctors, or the medication hasn’t been prescribed.

Experts can’t fully explain what is fuelling this but suggest a combination of factors might be at play, including increased police awareness of the ease of “at home” abortions.

‘Prosecutions not in public interest’

In England, Wales and Scotland, it is legal to terminate a pregnancy up to 24 weeks in an NHS clinic or approved abortion provider, with the permission of two doctors. In Northern Ireland, abortion was fully decriminalised in 2020.

Women can have a surgical abortion or they can take two pills – known as a medical termination.

Since COVID, the “pills by post” scheme became a permanent measure. It means both pills can be taken at home in the early stages of pregnancy following an online telephone consultation.

Having a termination outside of these circumstances in England and Wales is illegal under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act. The maximum penalty is life in prison.

“I think abortion care should come under the umbrella of healthcare,” says Lucie Baylis, an unplanned pregnancy nurse at Royal Cornwall NHS hospital.

“I don’t think there is any public interest in prosecuting women who seek abortion outside of the legal parameters.”

Earlier this year, new guidance was issued by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists urging medics not to report patients if they suspect a woman of illegally ending their own pregnancy.

In the first official guidance issued of its kind, it says a healthcare worker must “justify” any disclosure of patient data or face “potential fitness to practise proceedings”.

Ms Baylis said “it seems mad” women should be passed to police or authorities rather than handled as a healthcare patient.

‘Law should follow the science’

But others think moves to change the law are “irresponsible” and “would only have the impact of incentivising women to have late-term abortions by themselves, with no medical oversights,” says Calum Miller, a doctor and medical ethics professor at the University of Oxford.

“The current law acts as a deterrent to stop this,” he says.

“Data from other countries is very clear that when you make a certain kind of abortion legal, it does become more common.

“As an example, in New Zealand, there was a 43% increase in abortions after 20 weeks,” he says.

Dr Miller feels proposed amendments have the aim of “legalising abortion up until birth, which isn’t in step with British public opinion”.

In an October YouGov poll, 25% of people said they thought the current 24-week legal limit was too late and should be reduced, while 49% said it was about right, and 6% believed it should be extended.

“Abortion laws should follow the science. And it should say at the very least that if a baby is potentially viable, abortion should not be an option,” says Dr Miller.

While Sarah accepts why she was investigated – for looking for pills online – she is still struggling with the impact the investigation has had on her life.

“It never leaves your mind,” she says.

“Having to live with it for 50-odd weeks… You think ‘am I going to get a knock on the door? Are we going to get taken away?'”

The police force involved with Sarah’s case told us: “Immediate action was taken to secure evidence to ensure that a thorough investigation could take place.

“This was a complex investigation, requiring extensive forensic and medical evidence, and unfortunately these kind of enquiries take time.”

The National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Crown Prosecution Service also say these investigations are “rare” and “would only be initiated where there is credible information to suggest criminal activity… often as a result of concerns raised from medical professionals”.

They say they come with “unique” factors and “personal circumstances” that are “carefully” considered.

UK

Man arrested after people ‘pepper sprayed’ in Heathrow suitcase robbery

Published

4 hours ago

December 7, 2025

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Man arrested after people 'pepper sprayed' in Heathrow suitcase robbery

One man has been arrested, and further suspects are being traced, after 21 people needed medical attention following a “pepper spray” incident at London’s Heathrow Airport.

Officers were called at 8.11am on Sunday to a multi-storey car park at Terminal 3 following reports of multiple people being assaulted, said the Metropolitan Police.

A statement from the force said: “Armed officers responded to the incident and arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of assault, within nine minutes of the report coming in.

“He remains in custody and enquiries remain ongoing to locate further suspects.”

What we know so far:
• Police say a group of four men “robbed a woman of her suitcase” in a car park lift
• They sprayed a substance believed to be pepper spray in her direction
• People in the lift and the surrounding area were impacted
• Those directly involved are “known to each other”
• A total of 21 people were treated at the scene, including a three-year-old
• Passengers faced delays and difficulties accessing the airport
• Most of the disruption has now cleared

Met Police Commander Peter Stevens said on Sunday afternoon that the force believes “a woman was robbed of her suitcase by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance believed to be pepper spray in her direction”.

“This occurred within a car park lift, with those in the lift and surrounding area affected by the spray,” he continued.

“Our officers are working to determine the full circumstances around what happened but we do believe this to be an isolated incident with those directly involved known to each other.”

London Ambulance Service attended the scene and treated 21 people, including a three-year-old girl. Five people were taken to hospital. Their injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.

There was some disruption to traffic in the area and Terminal 3 remains open.

Eyewitness describes ‘absolutely terrifying’ ordeal

Witness Tom Bate told Sky’s Matt Barbet that he saw three “young men, dressed in black with their heads covered” suddenly bolt from the elevator area.

That’s when “people started coughing”, he said. “Suddenly… everyone in the room was coughing, including me, and there was a burning in my throat.

“It was one of the weirdest things I’ve ever experienced.”

Mr Bate was in the multi-storey car park at Terminal 3, having just landed from Dallas, Texas.

As he was leaving the car park, he saw “10-20 armed police officers” run in.

“The [police] did, in fact, point their gun at someone and order him to the ground and detain him,” he said. “And they got me out of the vehicle to ID the person.”

Mr Bate described the incident as “pretty intense” and “absolutely terrifying”.

‘Significant incident’

The London Ambulance Service said a “significant incident” was declared and there was a “full deployment” of resources. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said it was also called to the incident.

Heathrow advised passengers to allow extra time when travelling to the airport and to check with their airline for any queries.

Some passengers said they were forced to wait three hours for a shuttle bus to the long-stay car park after their flight. The service usually runs every 15 minutes.

Bottles of water were handed out by staff to people waiting for buses from Terminal 3.

There was disruption to train and Tube services, with some delays on the Elizabeth Line and the Piccadilly Line, but all lines are now operating normally.

Traffic also piled up at the M4 junction for the airport but this has since cleared.

People on social media said vehicles were being searched at the airport.

A user on X said there was a “major backlog of cars unable to leave the vicinity or enter the drop-off zone” at Terminal 3.

In footage on X, several armed police were seen in a car park.

UK

Lando Norris wins F1 World Championship after dramatic decider in Abu Dhabi

Published

4 hours ago

December 7, 2025

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Lando Norris wins F1 World Championship after dramatic decider in Abu Dhabi

Lando Norris won his maiden Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship on Sunday after coming third in the deciding showdown in Abu Dhabi.

The accolade wraps up a clean sweep for his McLaren team, after they claimed the Constructors’ Championship in Singapore in October.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the final race of the season from pole position, but Norris coming in third meant the Dutchman was unable to overcome Norris’s season points total of 423 – with Verstappen just two points short.

Norris’s title victory also ends Verstappen’s four-year reign at the top of Formula 1. The Dutchman was hoping to retain his crown and win a record-equalling fifth-straight Drivers’ Championship, which would have seen him draw level with F1 legend Michael Schumacher.

Norris’s teammate and title rival, Oscar Piastri, finished in second place in the race but third in the overall standings finishing on 410 points.

The 26-year-old Norris is the 11th British driver to win the championship and first since Sir Lewis Hamilton in 2020.

“Thank you guys, oh my God. You have made my dreams come true, thank you so much. I love you guys. Thanks for everything, you deserve it. I love you mum, I love you dad. Thanks for everything. I’m not crying!” he said on the team radio as he crossed the line.

His victory marks a remarkable comeback to secure the title, after falling 34 points behind Piastri following the Dutch Grand Prix in August, when he suffered a late mechanical problem in his car while running second to his Australian teammate.

But in the nine grand prix that followed, this was only the second time he was beaten by Piastri in a race.

That sequence saw him secure dominant wins in Mexico and Brazil, putting him in pole position for the maiden title.

“I’ve not cried in a while! I didn’t think I would cry but I did!” Norris to Sky Sports in his post-race interview.

“It’s a long journey. First of all, I want to say a big thanks to my guys, everyone at McLaren, my parents – my mum, my dad – they are the ones who have supported me since the beginning.

“It feels amazing. I now know what Max feels like a little bit! I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two biggest competitors the whole season. It’s been a pleasure to race against both of them. It’s been an honour, I’ve learned a lot from both.

“I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a long year. We did it and I’m so proud for everyone.”

The rise of Lando Norris

Lando Norris, who completed his seventh season in Formula 1, was born 13 November 1999 in Bristol and raised in Glastonbury by English father Adam and Belgian mother Cisca.

He began karting at the age of seven, while he attended the Millfield School in Somerset for nine years alongside his elder brother.

He left at Year 10 aged 16 to focus on his racing career, when he signed with Carlin Motorsport in Formula 4, winning the title in 2015.

After working his way up through the ranks, he finished runner-up to fellow Briton George Russell in the 2018 Formula 2 World Championship.

He made his Formula 1 debut in 2019 for McLaren, racing alongside Carlos Sainz Jr., where he finished 11th.

He secured his maiden podium in 2020 with third in that year’s Austrian Grand Prix, before securing his first pole position at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix.

However, it wasn’t until 2024 that he secured his maiden race win in the Miami Grand Prix. His win saw him tie the record for the most podiums before taking his first win.

After conducting celebratory ‘donuts’ on the start-finish straight after completing his slow-down lap, Norris was embraced by his parents, Cisca and Adam, after getting out of the car along with his girlfriend, Margarida Corceiro.

Norris received congratulations from across the globe after his win, including from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

In a post on X, Sir Keir said: “Congratulations @LandoNorris, Britain’s new @F1 champion! An unbelievable season and so well deserved.”

Norris’s fans celebrate in Silverstone

It was clear who fans at this watch party wanted to see win, and they got their wish.

There were cheers, tears and hugs of celebration as Lando Norris became the first Brit to win the World Championship in five years.

“Great race, great result,” says Jamie, who attended the watch party with his girlfriend Lottie. “We cheered every time he came on screen.”

Lottie has seen Norris race at Silverstone before, but today was even more special.

“I’ve never felt like this before,” says Lottie. “It was such an amazing experience.”

She admits, though, that for much of the afternoon she “felt sick,” nervous about how the race would pan out.

Norris only needed to be in the top three to win, but was amongst stiff competition with Max Verstappen and team mate Oscar Piastri hot on his heels.

There were groans in the crowd each time Norris slipped behind, and raucous cheers each time he closed the gap.

But it was the reaction from the Jenner family that caught my attention, crying and embracing each other when it became clear Norris had brought it home.

“The fact he has managed to get here is just everything. It’s amazing,” said Mrs Jenner.

“Pure joy that he had done it, we all love F1 as a family, it just means everything.”

But not everyone was happy. Abhi was among the few who came to support another driver.

“Go Max every time,” he says, admitting that he is “a bit gutted” by the results. “It stings a bit, but that’s the nature of the race.”

When asked what it was like to be one of the only people not there to witness Norris take the win, he says, “I felt a bit intimidated to be honest, and a bit stressed as well, but I held my own.”

UK

Mohamed Salah says he has been ‘thrown under the bus’ by Liverpool

Published

4 hours ago

December 7, 2025

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Mohamed Salah says he has been 'thrown under the bus' by Liverpool

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah says he has been “thrown under the bus” by the club, and his relationship with manager Arne Slot has broken down.

The 33-year-old player also suggested that next Saturday’s match against Brighton could be his last for the Reds, who are the reigning Premier League champions.

Speaking after Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Leeds, the Egypt forward told journalists he was in disbelief he had been left on the bench for the third game running.

“I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season,” said Salah, who signed a new deal at Anfield at the end of last season. “Now I’m sitting on the bench, and I don’t know why.

“It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.

“I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far, I am on the bench for three games so I can’t say they keep the promise.

“I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club.”

He joined the club in June 2017, and has been one of the Premier League’s best players.

Asked if his relationship with Slot had broken down, he said: “Yeah, there’s no relationship between us. It was a very good relationship and now all of a sudden there is no relationship.”

Salah will play at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for Egypt on 15 December and has been linked with a January move to the Saudi Pro League.

On Tuesday, Liverpool face Inter Milan away in the Champions League.

Speaking about the Brighton match at Anfield next Saturday, he admitted: “I said to [my family], come to the Brighton game. I don’t know if I am going to play or not, but I am going to enjoy it. In my head, I’m going to enjoy that game because I don’t know what is going to happen now.

“I will be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go the Africa cup. I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.”

Asked if it could be his final game for Liverpool, Salah said: “In football you never know. I don’t accept this situation. I have done so much for this club.”