7
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1981
THE REV HON JOYCE M. BENNETT SAID SHE WAS IN FAVOUR OF CHILD PRESERVATION BUT OPPOSED TO CHILD DESTRUCTION AT ANY STAGE OF LIFE IN THE WOMB UNLESS THE REASONS FOR THIS DESTRUCTION WERE CLEARLY ON MEDICAL GROUNDS.
HOWEVER, SHE POINTED OUT, CLAUSE 4 OF THE BILL HAS BROUGHT THREE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DOCTOR TO BE PERMITTED TO PERFORM AN ABORTION.
WHILE AGREEING THAT ABORTION SHOULD BE ACCEPTED WHEN THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER IS IN DANGER, MISS BENNETT THOUGHT THE ADDITION OF THE REFERENCE TO MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDED A COMPLICATION SINCE +OUR KNOWLEDGE OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND OUR ABILITY TO DEAL WITH IT IN HONG KONG IS FAR FROM ADEQUATE.+
+ I FIND MYSELF THEREFORE IN THEORY ACKNOWLEDGING THE NECESSITY TO WIDEN PHYSICAL HEALTH TO INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH, BUT IN PRACTICE WONDERING WHETHER WE HAVE THE NECESSARY COMPETENCE TO PUT THIS EFFECTIVELY INTO PRACTICE WITHOUT DEVELOPING A SITUATION WHERE ABORTION IS GIVEN ON DEMAND, SHE SAID.
REFERRING TO THE PROPOSAL WHICH ALLOWS AN ABORTION WHEN
A SUBSTANTIAL RISK EXISTS THAT IF THE CHILD WERE BORN, IT WOULD SUFFER FROM SUCH PHYSICAL OR MENTAL ABNORMALITY AS TO BE SERIOUSLY HANDICAPPED, MISS BENNETT REMARKED: +1 UNDERSTAND FROM MY FRIENDS IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION AND FROM MY CONSIDERABLE READING OF THE LITERATURE ON THE SUBJECT IN PREPARATION FOR THIS DEBATE, THAT MEDICAL SCIENCE IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CONDITION OF THE CHILD TO BE BORN.
+WE MAY NOT YET HAVE IN HONG KONG ENOUGH EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES TO CARRY OUT THESE DIAGNOSIS ON A WIDESPREAD SCALE BUT SUCH DIAGNOSIS WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY AVAILABLE.
+1 SHALL THEREFORE SUPPORT AN AMENDMENT TO THIS PART OF CLAUSE 4 WHICH STATES THAT ABORTION SHALL CNLY BE PERMITTED WHEN THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL RISK THAT IF THE CHILD WERE BORN, IT WOULD SUFFER FROM SUCH PHYSICAL OR MENTAL ABNORMALITY AS TO BE SO SERIOUSLY HANDICAPPED THAT THE CHILD WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EXIST WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL CARE OR ASSISTANCE FOR LIFE'+.
ON THE PROPOSAL RELATING TO ABORTION ON DEMAND FOR ANY GIRL UNDER THE AGE OF 17. WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY AMENDED TO 16, MISS BENNETT SAID SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS CLAUSE WAS ADDED IN ON SOCIAL GROUNDS TO OFFER PROTECTION TO THOSE NOT MATURE ENOUGH TO SHOULDER THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARENTHOOD.
+ IT APPEARS THAT THE ARGUMENT FOR ALLOWING ABORTION TO THE GIRL WHO HAS CONCEIVED UNDER 16 IS THAT AS SHE IS UNABLE TO BE A GOOD MOTHER, LET US DISPOSE OF THIS RESULT OF HER SEXUAL INTERCOURSE.
+HOWEVER DO NOT FORGET THAT THIS RESULT OF HER SEXUAL INTERCOURSE IS NOT JUST SOME UNWANTED TISSUE, IT IS A TINY LIFE THAT WILL GROW AND DEVELOP INTO A NEW-BORN BABY,+ SHE ADDED.
SHE SUGGESTED THAT A FAR GREATER STUDY WAS NEEDED OF THE EFFECT OF ABORTION ON DEMAND ON THE WHOLE MORAL CLIMATE OF THE COMMUNITY.
/SHE ALSO
+
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