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and the reasons for women resorting to them is required. In view of the difficulty of the Government investigating an illegal activity, the Working Group recommended that some post-secondary social research group be sponsored by Government, to undertake research into the problem of illegal abortion.
Changes in the Criteria for Abortion
9
The Working Group has recommended changes to the legisla- tion, to provide for pregnancies to be terminated lawfully on social grounds.
Victims of Rape or Incest
10
Under the present law, a woman whose pregnancy is the result of rape or incest cannot obtain a legal abortion unless pregnancy would involve risk to her health. The Working Group considered there is sufficient justification for such a victim to have her pregnancy terminated without having to satisfy that requirement. The Group recognised that it was impracticable for a victim of rape or incest to have to establish that the offence was committed on her by the conviction of her assailant. Her pregnancy might be too advanced by the time her assailant is convicted for her to have a safe abortion. To overcome the difficulty, the Group proposed that a victim of rape or incest who reported to the Police within 3 months of the offence should be able to have a legal abortion. It is realised that there is possibility of abuse by women making bogus claims of having been raped, but in view of the general attitude of the community to the lodging of reports with the Police, it is felt that the abuse, if any, would be minimal,
Pregnancies in Women over 40
11
In view of the greater risk of child bearing to the health of women over the normal child bearing age, the majority of the Working Group recommended the law be amended to enable women over 40 to obtain abortions at their request. However, the representative of the Medical and Health Department held the view that the risk depends on the medical condition of the individual and each case should be considered on its own merits, and that this provision is not necessary.
Deformity of the Foetus
12
The Working Group felt that the knowledge of defects in the foetus should be a sufficient criterion for a pregnancy to be terminated as it is likely to create considerable stress to the pregnant woman. Although
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