Heidi Crowter, the 27-year-old Down’s syndrome campaigner, has taken a legal challenge against the UK government to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). It follows unsuccessful attempts to have the UK courts declare that the Abortion Act 1967 unlawfully discriminates against the disabled.
The Act effectively allows abortion up to birth where ‘there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped’. This include Down’s Syndrome.
Preparing to mail a letter to the ECHR in late August, Heidi posted on Twitter: ‘… it’s wrong to screen out people like us. Here I am posting a letter that is HISTORY MAKING!! I think that UK courts were wrong to reject my case so we’re going to European court!’
It is likely to be at least three years before the ECHR hears the case. Heidi, her fellow campaigners and her legal team now have a crowdfunding page to raise funds for legal proceedings. It can be found here: www.crowdjustice.com/case/downrightdiscrimination/
