PROBATION FOR ABORTION BRINGS WOMENS’ PROTEST

Grey River Argus, 14 August 1948, Page 8

PROBATION FOR ABORTION BRINGS WOMENS’ PROTEST

CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 13. The Christchurch branch of the National Council of Women, at its meeting last evening, passed a resolution supporting Mr R. G. Gerard, M.P., (Ashburton) in his question ,in the House of Representatives on Wednesday on the sentences of probation imposed in the Supreme Court Christchurch, by Mr Justice Fleming, on a man and a woman who had appeared on two charges of the unlawful use of an instrument to procure abortion. It was decided to ask the Dominion president, Mrs Beaumont Bates, to get in touch with all branches of the National Council of Women in New Zealand by telegram asking? that they also support Mr Gerard in raising the question. Miss M. G. Havelaar said it seemed terrible to her that probation was the only sentence imposed. Members, she was sure, would agree with her that it was high time they did something about it( she said. An urgent remit which had been prepared by the society’s solicitor for submission to the Dominion conference of the National Council of Women in Auckland next month asked <hat the conference urge the Minister of Justice to amend the criminal law of’ New Zealand to provide that any person receiving any fee or monetary .reward in respect of an illegal operation for abortion should be chargeable with aiding and abet- | ting in the commission of the illegal i operation.