UN group defends girls' rights

By HELEN TUNNAH


Unicef has delivered a hard-hitting letter to all MPs warning that attempts to force young girls to tell parents if they want an abortion could put them at serious risk.

The child advocacy group said the primary right when a girl became pregnant was not the right of a parent to know "but the rights of the young women to safety and support".

National's health spokeswoman, Judith Collins, is promoting a law change that would make it mandatory for doctors to tell the parents of underage girls if they are seeking an abortion.

Girls would need to go to court to prevent their parents being told.

Mrs Collins has strong support from some within National's caucus, including former leader Bill English, who launched the campaign for a law change last year, and present leader Don Brash, but the party is not united on the issue.

Because abortion is considered a moral issue, National MPs will have a conscience vote on the proposed law.

A National MP has told the Herald some within its caucus remain uneasy about the Collins proposal, and agree with doctors' predictions that frightened girls might seek illegal abortions if they fear having to tell parents.

Dr Brash has previously said his MPs "overwhelmingly" supported a law change.

Unicef's letter to all MPs says that with support and guidance, most young girls do tell their parents if they are pregnant and want an abortion.

But the letter, from New Zealand executive director Dennis McKinlay, says a minority of parents might not support daughters "and in some circumstances the young women may be at additional risk from violence".

"Some of the young women will have already experienced violence within their family and, in fact, it is reasonable to assume that abused and neglected girls are more at risk of becoming pregnant than others."

The letter says the intention of the law change may be to ensure that young girls have parental support, but the "actual effect may be to place the health and safety of vulnerable young women at serious risk".

It also warns of a rise in illegal, unsafe abortions.

Unicef spokeswoman Beth Wood said advice from one abortion consultant who had seen 22 girls found only one who would not tell a parent or adult.

Two other girls had told a close relative rather than a parent. The other girls had all told their parents.

Only a small number of girls did not tell their parents.

A Herald-DigiPoll published this month found seven out of 10 people thought parents should be told if an underage daughter was seeking an abortion.