Daily Mail

Secrecy that undermines our role as parents

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IN a powerful written statement – which will strike a chord with parents and teenagers – Susan Axon laid bare her personal experience­s before the court:

WHEN I was 30 years old I

had an abortion when I was

11 weeks pregnant.

‘At the time I was confused, h av i n g r e c e n t l y h a d a f a i l e d relationsh­ip.

‘The father of the unborn child left me, and without the prospect of close support, I found it too difficult to contemplat­e bringing up another child on my own.

‘Contrary to my principles held at that time – and now – I had an abortion.

‘I suffered severe guilt, shame and depression for many years after that, not because of anything that was said to me, but because I believed I had killed my child.

‘To this day I regret having had the abortion.

‘I also suffered physical complicati­ons.

‘I am opposed to abortion not out of any religious conviction, simply because I believe that the unborn baby is a human being.

‘I believe that abortion should only be allowed in the most exceptiona­l circumstan­ces.

‘That being so, should my daughters fall pregnant, I would not stop them having an abortion.

‘I would, however, discuss the matter with them and seek to dissuade them from taking that course of action.

‘Ultimately if they disregarde­d my advice and had the abortion, I would support them and help them through this very significan­t operation.

‘At that time, they would need my care, not condemnati­on.

‘My concern with the (government) guidance is that I believe it undermines my role as a parent.

‘I recognise that the teenage years, especially the early teens, are significan­t and tumultuous for youngsters.

‘Most teens experience significan­t self doubt and feelings of inferiorit­y.

‘Peer pressure is very powerful at this time and many opportunit­ies exist to make unwise, very far-reaching decisions.

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