9 November 2007
SUBMISSION TO PARLIAMENT ON THE CHOICE ON TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY AMENDMENT
BILL [B21 of 2007)
My wife and I, who have been married for 14 years, are making this submission
in our personal capacity. We maintain close contact with a NGO orphanage, and
on weekends and holidays, foster a five-year-old abandoned "AIDS
orphan", and have done so since he was two. He has become a dear member of
our family, and our hope is to give him everything he needs, from a loving and
supporting family, to the provision of material needs/education etc, required
to live a happy and successful life, which is not perpetually dependant on
institutions.
You will understand, that with a very close engagement in the desperate
situation of abounding orphans in South Africa, that we are absolutely devoted
to the institution of family, and to protecting and caring for our Nation's
children. Added to this, we are well aware that our foster child
"escaped", after being conceived into a situation that made him a
prime target for abortion.
While the situation of abounding orphans is alarming, we are persuaded that the
"obvious" solution many mothers are presented with namely abortion,
is reprehensible. This grave situation reveals how we deal with the weakest and
most defenceless of humanity, and how truly we value human life. We are asked
whether we will simply try and make the "problems" go away, or
whether we will rise to the enormous challenge presented to us.
We are aware that the right to termination of pregnancy is not under debate in
the abovementioned Bill. However, we request that you use it to ensure that
abortion is only used as the last in a series of alternatives to dealing with
an "unwanted" child. Apart from the obvious fact that the unborn
child suffers a cruel and violent death, which research confirms is accompanied
by pain and suffering, the mother is often pressurised into the act of abortion
by family, boyfriends and circumstances. While everyone else is thereafter
happy to forget the "problem", she must go on to deal with a life of
regret, often with associated and intense psychological problems. Around the
world, large scientific studies are finding that the risks of homicide (mainly
due to risk-seeking behaviour) and suicide increase dramatically after a
termination of pregnancy, compared to (1) the general population, (2) those who
had live births and (3) those who had miscarriages. Our legislation cannot
ignore such significant and scientifically verified consequences.
The Amendment Act should therefore be far stricter and clearer in regard to pre
and post-termination counselling. The counselling should:
1. be mandatory,
2. reflect the present state of scientific knowledge,
3. present alternatives available to the mother and provide her with contacts
in this regard,
4. make use of visual material to explain the procedure and the stage of
gestational development. This requirement should not be seen as overly emotive.
There is an imagined and enduring picture that haunts mothers who do not
receive adequate counselling. They should rather be shown the facts before the
abortion takes place, to enable an informed decision.
Further, a period of at least two days should be allowed for the mother to
consider her decision after the counselling, before the abortion is allowed to
proceed. We also propose that punitive action be specified for the
abortionists, if they do not follow and allow for the counselling procedures
properly.
Yours faithfully
Brendon and Tamsin Theunissen