Summary
A secret recording heard by the BBC shows that a senior UK police officer was worried about arresting a woman named Nicola Packer, who took abortion pills at around 26 weeks pregnant. Packer was found not guilty of having an illegal abortion, but the arrest took place when she was still recovering from surgery related to the birth of a stillborn baby.
Key Facts
- Nicola Packer was arrested for taking abortion pills while 26 weeks pregnant, believing she was only six weeks pregnant.
- The arrest occurred in a hospital during the Covid pandemic, the day after she had a stillborn baby at home.
- A senior police officer expressed concern about the arrest, noting it was uncomfortable territory for police.
- Packer was initially not prosecuted, but police requested a review of the case in 2023, leading to charges.
- She was acquitted of any wrongdoing in April of this year.
- The arrest followed a call to the police by a senior midwife at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
- The meeting recorded in the leaked audio happened after Packer's arrest and included 20 healthcare and police professionals.
- Packer used a pills-by-post abortion system available during the pandemic, which she initially hid from hospital staff.
