New statistics from the Department of Health and Social Care show that 3,205 disability-selective abortions occurred in 2023 in England and Wales, a 2.6% increase from the previous year.
This includes 685 babies with Down’s syndrome and 40 with cleft lip or palate, though experts believe some cases may be underreported.
Late-term abortions for babies with disabilities at 24 weeks and beyond also rose, with 300 reported in 2023, a 17% increase from 2022. Under UK law, abortion for disability can be performed up until birth, with conditions such as Down’s syndrome, cleft lip/palate, or club foot considered “seriously handicapped,” even when treatable after birth.
Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right To Life UK, called the figures “shocking and thoroughly disappointing” and urged that abortion legislation be updated to align with non-discrimination law, ensuring unborn babies with disabilities are not aborted solely because of their condition.
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