Closed petition Urgent review into the protection of unborn children in domestic violence cases

Closed on 24 October 2023

Too many unborn babies are killed or harmed by domestic violence. Current laws protecting the mother don't always provide immediate protection for the unborn child. Child destruction laws only apply where there's proof of intent to harm the baby and even then only if they are at least 28 weeks old.

The Government should commission an urgent review to improve the protections of all unborn children in domestic violence cases, looking at how more immediate protections can be put in place when there is an unborn child, and updating child destruction laws to include all unborn children, regardless of age and remove the burden of proving an attempt to harm the baby to knowledge of a pregnancy when attacking the mother.