Sir, According to the court verdict (“Mother defeated in ‘right to know’ abortion battle”, Jan 24), a parent does not have complete responsibility for, or authority over, a daughter.
How is this to be squared with reports of a mother threatened with prison because she was unable to persuade her teenage son to go to school?
Are parents responsible for their child’s behaviour and wellbeing or not?
BRIAN STOWE
Great Malvern, Worcs
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Sir, The judgment upholding the right of children to medical confidentiality over the right of parents to be informed is even worse than it seems. More important than their right, parents have a responsibility and duty of care and it is this responsibility which the law has taken away from them, not a rather meaningless right. Thus the State has further undermined the family as the basic unit of social cohesion.
MICHAEL BRIGHT
Tunbridge Wells, Kent
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Sir, Parentline Plus welcomes the news that the High Court has retained under-16s’ rights to have confidential sexual health advice. It is obvious from our work and from the thousands of parents and carers who consult us, that there is a general consensus among parents, carers and teenagers that young people should be entitled to confidential sexual health advice.
JAN FRY
Parentline Plus
London NW5
Sir, A teacher requires parental permission to give something as minor as an aspirin to a child. Yet an invasive medical procedure (abortion) is permitted to occur without parental knowledge. Why?
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PETER SAUL
Manchester
Sir, I know that parents understandably feel that they ought to be informed. However, the legal system exists as it does, in order to act as a third party between two diametrically opposed interests, and usually has to take into account multiple competing factors. The interest that parents have in being informed of a proposed abortion is just one of those factors. Let us not forget that a doctor still has the option to tell a child that he or she is unwilling to proceed without first having obtained parental consent.
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ANDREW BURTENSHAW
Hull
Sir, As a specialist midwife also working in the field of substance misuse I am relieved that Sue Axon lost her case.
It would be disastrous to take away confidentiality from young people regarding their sexual health. At least thanks to government policy and the professionalism of the staff in the sexual health service, young people have somewhere safe to go for advice.
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SHEENA PRENTICE
Nottingham
Sir, Putting the health, safety and welfare of your child into the hands of strangers has been proven to be a mistake. Now to say that a child is to be counselled by strangers, who may know nothing of the family and may not have the child’s best interests at heart is terrifying.
SARAHJANE MARQUIS
London