Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Unborn children

Kim O’KEEFFE (Shepparton) presented a petition bearing 280 signatures:

Issue:

This petition of residents in Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Assembly that unborn babies are not classed as human beings by the law. On the 20th of October 2023 my wife was caught in a tragic car accident. Not only was she severely injured but my son was killed. Unfortunately, the law in Victoria doesn’t recognise him as a human being because he didn’t take a breath when delivered by the doctors. He was our first baby. He was loved by so many people already. His heart was beating, he was healthy and ready to come into the world. He did but not the way we expected. My baby will never be recognised as a victim by the justice system and the person responsible of the accident will never be held accountable for his death. We don’t understand. He has a birth and death certificate, his own TAC claim number. Why isn’t that enough to recognise him as a human being? My wife was 34 weeks pregnant. if she can’t get an abortion, why is my baby still recognise as a foetus and not a baby?

Action:

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Assembly call on the Government to consider unborn babies as human beings. In our eyes, if the limit 24 weeks of gestation for an abortion, any baby past 24 weeks of gestation, any baby with a birth certificate, should be recognise as a human being by the law. My wife and I know that it is too late for us. Remi will never get justice. We want to make sure this never happens to anyone else.

Ordered that petition be considered tomorrow.