Petition · past parliament · Ministry of Justice
Create an Unborn Victims of Violence Act
Closed
474 signatures
What the petition asks
In order to better protect Domestic Abuse victims from abuse in pregnancy I want the government to create a specific offence to enable the judiciary to adequately prosecute perpetrators
Create an Unborn Victims of Violence Act
As the law currently stands if a perpetrator of domestic violence causes a miscarriage, still birth or forces a woman to terminate her pregnancy against her will, they cannot be adequately prosecuted and this leads to lenient sentences being available in court.
The Government should create a specific offence that enables courts to hand down much harsher sentences in such cases.
This would not affect reproductive rights for women.
As the law currently stands if a perpetrator of domestic violence causes a miscarriage, still birth or forces a woman to terminate her pregnancy against her will, they cannot be adequately prosecuted and this leads to lenient sentences being available in court.
The Government should create a specific offence that enables courts to hand down much harsher sentences in such cases.
This would not affect reproductive rights for women.
Timeline
| 12 Jul 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 12 Jan 2022 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
474
Status
Closed
Department
Ministry of Justice
Opened
12 Jul 2021
Closed
12 Jan 2022
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.