UK MPs urge for parents to be informed of underage girls seeking abortions

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UK MPs have urged the Health Secretary to change the law that would require doctors to inform parents if a girl under 16 is seeking an abortion, in a bid to prevent the cover up of abuse scandals.

The UK grooming gangs scandal has made headlines again recently after CEO of Tesla and X, Elon Musk, publicly accused the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, for failing to act appropriately to the scandals during his time as head of the Crown Prosecution Servie.

According to the BBC, the UK grooming gang scandal previously made headlines after a 2014 report revealed that at least 1,400 minors were subject to abuse by grooming gangs in Rotherham between 1997-2013. Similar scandals also happened in other towns including Oxford and Rochdale. The scandals become news worldwide, prompted major debates within parliament, and investigations went underway over the failure to appropriately support the victims and handle the crimes. 

In light of the recent headlines, DUP MP, Carla Lockhart wrote a letter to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, urging him to change the law so that parents are informed if a girl under the age of 16 is seeking an abortion, in a bid to prevent the cover up of these scandals. She said that girls under the age of 16 were being pressured into an abortion after being victimised by grooming gangs, with “little or no emotional support from those who care about them most.”

“Without doubt, the legal status quo also made it far easier for the vile individuals behind these crimes to conceal the evil they have inflicted on these vulnerable girls,” she said. “If there were a legal requirement for parental notification, then it is far more likely questions would have been asked potentially leading to the discovery of these heinous crimes at an earlier stage.

This proposal has also been backed by Sir Edward Leigh. “It is difficult to find words to fully capture the extent of the horror that was visited upon some of the most vulnerable people in our society as a result of the grooming gangs scandal,” he said.

“This has been an appalling failure and it is some relief that a spotlight is now being shone on it,” he added. “It is also clear that the current abortion laws made it far easier to conceal these crimes. They should be revisited urgently to prevent further catastrophes on this scale.”

Former conservative MP, Miriam Cates also backed this letter to the Health Minister, adding: “As a child under 16 cannot legally consent to sex, there is a high chance that the pregnant girl has been abused. Parents absolutely must be informed if there’s a suspicion that their child is being abused. How can that child possibly be kept safe if they are not?”

Sandra Parda of the Life Institute commented saying: “This is a positive step in recognising the importance of parental knowledge when a minor is seeking an abortion, especially for the sake of protecting underage girls from abuse. Cases like this further show that abortion does nothing to help women and girls, but has been allowed to help cover up any potential abuse a young girl is subject to.”