WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1981
OBJECTIONS TO CLAUSE 4 OF OFFENCES BILL
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TWELVE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS COMMENTED ON THE CONTROVERSIAL OFFENCES AGAINST THE PERSON (AMENDMENT) BILL WHEN IT RECEIVED
ITS SECOND READING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
FOUR OF THEM SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL WHILE THE OTHERS WERE OPPOSED TO ITS VARIOUS PROVISIONS.
LEADING THE ATTACK WAS DR THE HON HARRY FANG WHO WAS THE CONVENER OF AN AD HOC GROUP OF UNOFFICIALS FORMED TO STUDY THE BILL.
THE GROUP HAD HELD A NUMBER OF MEETINGS WITH THE OFFICIAL SIDE AND MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISATIONS ABOUT THE BILL.
IN HIS SPEECH DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE, DR FANG SAID IT SEEMED SOMEWHAT IRONIC THAT AT A TIME WHEN MANY COUNTRIES WERE CONCERNED THAT THEIR ABORTION LEGISLATION HAD GONE TOO FAR, HONG KONG WAS PROPOSING TO RELAX ITS ABORTION LAW.
HE POINTED OUT THAT HE SUPPORTED THE MAJORITY OF THE BILL'S PROVISIONS WHICH WERE CONCERNED WITH THE PROTECTION OF THE UNBORN CHILD, BUT WAS OPPOSED TO CLAUSE 4 WHICH RELAXES TO AN ALARMING DEGREE THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH AN ABORTION MAY LEGALLY BE PERFORMED+.
+ IT SPECIFIES THAT WOMEN DIAGNOSED AS BEING PREGNANT WITH AN ABNORMAL FOETUS- WOMEN UNDER 17 YEARS OF AGE AND ALLEGED VICTIMS OF RAPE, INCEST AND SEXUAL INTERCOURSE PROCURED BY DRUGS, FALSE PRETENCES OR THREAT ARE ENTITLED TO ABORTIONS, DR FANG SAID.
+BUT THROUGHOUT OUR DISCUSSIONS NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO OFFER A CONVINCING EXPLANATION AS TO WHY SUCH ADDITIONAL MEASURES ARE NECESSARY.
+MOREOVER, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE SO FAR AS WE ARE AWARE TO INDICATE THAT SUCH VICTIMS ARE BEING DENIED ABORTIONS UNDER THE LAW AS IT STANDS.
ON THE PROVISION WHICH ALLOWS WOMEN DIAGNOSED AS BEING PREGNANT WITH AN ABNORMAL FOETUS AN ABORTION, DR FANG OPI NED THAT MEDICAL SCIENCE WAS NOT PRECISE AND IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, AND IN SOME CASES IMPOSSIBLE, TO DIAGNOSE ACCURATELY THE DEGREE OF DEFORMITY.
+ IN ADDITION, HE ADDED, THERE IS ALSO A HIGH ERROR FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH PRE-NATAL TESTING FOR FOETAL ABNORMALITIES AND IT IS ESTIMATED THAT FOR EVERY 100 BABIES ABORTED ON THE GROUNDS OF FOETAL ABNORMALITY, TEN HEALTHY BABIES ARE KILLED.
+
+ INDEED IT WAS ON THESE GROUNDS, BASED ON EVIDENCE PRESENTED BY THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNAECOLOGISTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE GOVERNMENT, LESS THAN THREE YEARS AGO, HALTED ITS PLANS TO MAKE AMMOCENTESIS (A FORM OF PRE-NATAL TESTING) AVAILABLE NATION-WIDE.+
/BEARING THIS