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June 1999
Criminal probe into Alberta infanticides announcedProvincial medical authorities will also investigate ‘genetic termination' abortions at hospitalsA police investigation may shed new light on late-term abortions of genetically-flawed babies at two Alberta hospitals. As reported in last month's Interim, nurses at Calgary Foothills Hospital revealed that they had been forced to participate in abortions on babies medical staff had determined to be genetically handicapped. In some cases, babies were born alive but were denied immediate life-saving attention. The Canadian Press reported in mid-May that Calgary Police Service and the Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons have now launched an investigation to determine if the Criminal Code was violated with respect to late-term abortions. Calgary Reform party MP Jason Kenney wrote to Alberta Justice Minister Jon Havelock May 5 asking that the justice minister investigate allegations that babies had been left to die. Kenney suggested that as many as six sections of the Criminal Code may have been infringed. Kenny has also drawn up a private member's bill designed to protect hospital staff from participating in procedures they find morally objectionable. Meanwhile the province's medical society will look into charges of late-term abortions at Calgary Foothills Hospital and the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. News of the possible infanticide at the two Alberta hospitals led to some aggressive damage control on the part of the Calgary Regional Health Authority. In late April, the authority obtained a court order preventing Alberta Report magazine from publishing additional details of the late-term abortions. Alberta Report publisher Link Byfield described the action as "a snarling menace" to freedom of the press in Canada. |
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