Member

This is a policy decision, but your Lordships may also wish to consider the possible impact on under-16s who wish to access an abortion, where the prospect of an investigation, especially one undertaken by the police, could deter this vulnerable cohort of patients from seeking treatment from established services, creating either a risk of unwanted pregnancies or an increased general use of unregulated abortion services by under-16s carried out under coercion. There is a significant risk that this might have a disproportionate impact on those who are most vulnerable, including those experiencing violence and abuse.