Forensic reports reveal that tpolice in the UK have requested a mass spectrometry test, which can detect the presence of the abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol in the urine, blood and placenta of women under investigation.
Other reports include requests for “data related to menstruation tracking applications” as part of the police’s investigations.
It’s understood these requests have been taking place for at least the past three years. Dr Jonathan Lord, co-chair of the British Society of Abortion Care Providers and an NHS consultant gynaecologist, called searching women’s phones for menstrual data “chilling and deeply intrusive”.
Dr Allison Holmes, Lecturer in Law at the University of Kent told Tortoise she was not surprised to hear menstrual app data was being requested by UK police when investigating suspected illegal abortions, based on her research into the treatment of victims’ phones in sexual offence investigations.
The UK Home Office was approached but did not comment.
Abortion is legal up to 24 weeks. After 24 weeks abortion is no longer legal (unless for medical reasons) as the foetus is regarded as viable - as in the foetus may survive birth with medical intervention. Premature babies born at 24 weeks can survive thanks to neonatal medicine.
The police are tasked with enforcing that law.
It remains highly controversial as on one hand there are arguments about women’s rights Vs foetus rights (which are more nuanced as the foetus can survive at that age) and on the other when the law in enforced, how it is done is difficult and legal cases are highly controversial.
It’s not like there are many women going around trying to abort at 24 weeks+; often they are cases of tragically chaotic lives, mental illness and so on. But the police are obliged to enforce the law, and we have a conservative government directing them to do so. And also ultimately the law is the law - the limit exists for a very good reason. A foetus born and dying without medical care due to an illegal late abortion is horrific to even think about, and adds a complex layer of emotion on to the whole topic.
That’s a good law, though. The line has to be drawn somewhere.
However the enforcement does sound really icky.