Lorraine Clifford-Lee: Pregnancy concealment and trauma go hand in hand for women and yet our law on this is outdated and cruel...
LAST FRIDAY, I attended the Court of Appeal for a case involving a young woman who concealed her pregnancy and subsequently concealed the birth of her child – with a tragic outcome.
Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said the “tragic” case will “live with this young woman for the rest of her life” and that the court had “no hesitation” in dismissing the DPP’s application. Despite what people may assume, concealment is not only found in restrictive and religious countries. It is a contemporary problem that needs urgent attention. It happens across all age groups and education levels regardless of marital status. Studies have shown that it is more likely to occur in rural-based populations. The rate of concealed pregnancies up to birth is 1 in 2,500 and this is borne out in Irish, German, Welsh and American studies.
The legal position Currently, there is no legal recognition of neonaticide being different from infanticide . The legal experts must review distinctions between neonaticide and infanticide in order that appropriate, trauma-sensitive interdisciplinary responses can be developed, particularly considering the long and sad history of this country regarding crisis pregnancies.
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