The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has issued new guidance that includes reviewing women’s search histories, private messages, and data from health apps like menstrual and fertility trackers after unexpected pregnancy loss.
The new guidance on “child death investigation” advises officers to search for “drugs that can terminate pregnancy” in stillbirth cases, as well as suggesting that investigators may access a woman’s digital devices to assess her “knowledge and intention”. We are concerned to see that the guidance also outlines ways that police could obtain abortion-related medical records from NHS providers like MSI UK, without a court order.
Commenting on the guidance, Louise McCudden, Head of External Affairs at MSI UK, said:
“This guidance will be fuelling a culture of hostility and suspicion towards abortion and pregnancy loss.
“To publish such draconian guidance about a legal medical procedure, without input from abortion providers or the wider medical community, shows an alarming disregard for the real world implications for the women involved.
“Ultimately, the problem here is our abortion laws. When you have unjust, Victorian laws that govern women’s bodies, it’s no surprise that this leads to unjust regressive policing that overrides women’s bodily autonomy.”
It’s more important than ever that we reform our abortion laws, to make sure no-one faces investigation for ending their own pregnancy.
Notes to Editors
For further information please contact:
Email: press@mischoices.org
Telephone: +44 (0) 7769 166 516
