Report: Babies survive abortion attempts every month in New Zealand

Government data has revealed that preborn babies survived attempted abortions at least once every month in New Zealand — and were not provided medical care.

Key Takeaways:

• Abortion is legal for any reason in New Zealand through 20 weeks of pregnancy.

• After 20 weeks, abortion can still be committed if a doctor finds them necessary for reasons of "health."

• Family First has obtained government data revealing preborn children regularly survive abortion attempts and are left to die.

The Details:

Family First New Zealand reported they were able to obtain government data after filing an official request, and discovered preborn children survive attempted abortions on a regular basis. Since 2020, 80 attempted abortions have resulted in live births, though the real number may be even higher, as some districts did not provide the information.

The abortion survivors were between 20 and 30 weeks gestation, and received no life-saving care. Multiple districts made it clear that medical care was only given to wanted babies:

Disturbingly, Te Tai Tokerau district said that life-sustaining care is considered only for “wanted babies at 22 weeks + 5 days." At Waikato, there is “parental discretion to opt in or opt out of resuscitation.” Canterbury have previously advised that the “baby is wrapped in a blanket and held until it passes.”

“We are not surprised by this data – but it is still truly shocking. Whether the unborn child is 15, 20, 30 or 40 weeks in the womb, it will naturally be fighting for its life," Bob McCoskrie, CEO of Family First New Zealand, said. "That is our human instinct. We should be protecting the lives of innocent babies who survive attempted abortions. We should be making abundantly clear that this is an obligation on medical professionals."

Why It Matters:

Abortion activists often deride abortion survivors as nothing more than a pro-life myth. Yet this is false; as Live Action News has previously reported:

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that over the course of 12 years, more than a hundred infants were reported to have survived for at least a short time after abortions. Minnesota’s most recent abortion report, for example, revealed that five children were born alive during abortions in that state in 2021 alone. The report further added that none of them received medical care — in other words, they were left to die.

Another report found that over 100 babies were born alive following abortions in just five states over approximately a decade. Furthermore, though Kermit Gosnell is the most notorious example of an abortionist who either allowed abortion survivors to die or actively murdered them, he is far from alone. As Live Action’s Inhuman investigation showed, other abortionists are all too willing to let abortion survivors die.

Inhuman: Undercover in America's Late-Term Abortion Industry - Carhart

Preborn children are also increasingly surviving being born at younger ages, particularly if they receive active care. Yet around the world, including in New Zealand, these children are not only allowed to be deprived of such active care, but can legally be killed.

In New Zealand specifically, an amendment which would have required health care be provided to abortion survivors failed, with Minister of Health & Labour MP Andrew Little specifically doubting that abortion survivors exist, saying, “I would like to see the science about a child being born after an abortion.”

Now, McCroskie said, “Here is the evidence. This is not about politics – this is about having a heart."

The Bottom Line:

There is no end to the depravity of the abortion industry. Even when a child has been completely separated from his mother, abortionists still refuse to honor his right to life.