A council is seeking compensation for a six-year-old girl with “growth retardation” caused by her mum's alcohol consumption during pregnancy, claiming criminal injuries against the child.

 

Now charities British Pregnancy Advisory Service (bpas) and Birthrights are claiming this could pave the way for the criminalisation of drinking during pregnancy.

 

The six-year-old was born with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, which can cause facial abnormalities and intellectual impairment and now lawyers are attempting to prove her mum committed a crime under Offences Against the Persons Act 1861.

 

Ann Furedi, chief executive of bpas, and Rebecca Schiller, co-chair of Birthrights, said: “Making one particular form of behaviour during pregnancy into a criminal offence would lay the ground for criminalising a wide range of other behaviours because they may too pose a risk to the health of the baby.”

 

“We should take very seriously any legal developments which call into question pregnant women's fundamental right to bodily autonomy and right to make their own decisions.

 

”Pregnant women deserve support and respect, not the prospect of criminal sanction for behaviour which would not be illegal for anyone else.“

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