Abortion safe areas – escalation of the war on women!

Media Release 25 August 2023

The government’s unwarranted imposition of suppression of free speech zones under the guise of safe areas marks the escalation of the government’s war against women and their unborn.

Today the 25th August is a day of shame, humiliation and a violation of free speech and assembly. This is the day when 6 abortion providers had imposed on them a safe area designation. The safe area extends for 150 metres around the abortion facility or the hospital.

It is now unlawful for any person to enter this area to offer care and help to any woman seeking an abortion. A caring person offering help to a woman could be arrested by the police, charged in court and fined up to $1,000.

The despairing message that the government is giving to women entering these so called safe areas, is that this is a safe area to have your baby killed, with respect for your privacy and dignity.

Any woman entering a safe area alone, with nobody to love and help her, often abandoned and coerced by others, could be traumatised in the knowledge that it is now unlawful to offer her help to choose life for her baby.

The Minister of Health, Ayesha Verrall, will consider further requests for Safe Areas on a case-by-case basis. This includes considering the risk to the safety, wellbeing, privacy and dignity of people accessing or providing abortion services, and how this is balanced against limiting people’s rights and freedoms within a democratic society.

Right to Life asks the Health Minister: What evidence did she have to justify imposing a safe area of 150 metres around the Christchurch public hospital when this hospital had no records of any complaints from women and staff of harassment and intimidation, and which intrudes into the Botanic Gardens and into Hagley Park?

Right to Life accepts the Law Commission report to the Minister of Health that it did not recommend safe area legislation as it was not necessary, as the Summary Offences Act was appropriate in dealing with any alleged harassment and intimidation of women. It was also the opinion of abortion providers and staff that safe area legislation was not necessary.

Right to Life notes that the Minister has made no media release on the significant and major news of her approval of the first six safe area designations. Right to Life believes that the Minister and the government are embarrassed and wish to distance themselves from this legislation that is anti-women and violates our right to free speech and assembly.

Right to Life believes that the government’s real objectives in passing this legislation were to:-

• normalise the killing of unborn children as “health care”.

• demonise and harass peaceful law-abiding citizens who are opposed to the war against women and the killing of the unborn.

• distract attention away from the real intimidation and violence that is inflicted on women and their unborn in the abortion facility.

• protect the abortion industry by preventing the presence of persons within a safe area offering help to a woman to choose life for her child.

Right to Life will not rest until this oppressive legislation is repealed.

Ken Orr,

Spokesperson,

Right to Life New Zealand Inc.