Calls to Ban Postal Abortion Pills After Assault

The conviction of Stuart Worby, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman and administering abortion pills without her consent, has reignited the debate over the UK's 'pills by post' abortion service. Worby procured the medication through a friend posing as a woman seeking an abortion, leading to a miscarriage shortly after he spiked the woman's drink. In light of this incident, anti-abortion group Right To Life UK has called for an immediate halt to the postal scheme, arguing that it facilitates such abuses. Critics, including the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, warn that restricting access to safe abortion services would empower abusers and harm vulnerable women. Meanwhile, a cross-party group of MPs has pushed to amend laws to restore in-person consultations for abortion medication, citing safety concerns. The pills-by-post service was initially introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure continued access to reproductive healthcare and was made permanent in March 2022 despite ongoing criticism.