BBC criticized for plans to broadcast live from abortion clinic

London, England, Apr 28, 2012 / 05:08 am

The BBC has drawn criticism from pro-life groups over plans to broadcast a live radio program from an abortion clinic.

“News that a publicly funded radio station – BBC Radio 5 – is going to record inside an abortion clinic is being seen by many of us as biased support for the abortion lobby,” said Josephine Quintavalle of the ProLife Alliance.

Quintavalle called the move “contrary to the neutrality that is obligatory under the BBC charter,” in comments to CNA April 27.

The two-hour live program will take place next month at a location yet to be disclosed. The BBC says it will feature interviews with mothers who are having their babies aborted as well as with clinic staff.

Radio presenter Victoria Derbyshire, who will host the broadcast, told the Independent newspaper April 23 that she wants to give listeners “an insight into an area of British life which is taboo.”

“We have asked an abortion clinic for permission to broadcast and they have agreed. We appreciate the sensitivity around it and I would hope listeners would trust us to do it carefully,” she said.

Quintavalle noted in her remarks to CNA that at this stage, it is “difficult to be sure” if the BBC will fulfill its promise to provide balanced coverage of the issue.

“One thing at least is absolutely certain,” she added, “Whoever else is recorded, the voice of the unborn child, the helpless silent victim of abortion, will not be given any air time whatsoever.”

Abortion was legalized in England, Wales and Scotland in 1967. Since then approximately 7 million lives have been lost to abortion in those three countries. Northern Ireland is still exempt from the 1967 legislation. Presently, unborn babies can be aborted in the UK up until the 24th week of pregnancy and up to birth in the case of disability.

Recently the abortion industry in the UK has come under criticism following undercover filming by The Daily Telegraph newspaper in February that revealed British doctors are now agreeing to abort babies on the grounds of the unborn child’s gender.  

“The pro-life movement in the United Kingdom has been gaining significant ground lately with public opinion,” said Josephine Quintavalle, “we believe that attempts to lower the upper limit for abortion are very winnable.”