Sue Axon’s teenage daughter gives birth

The daughter of a woman who lost a court battle for a parent’s ‘right to know’ if their child wants an abortion gave birth to a baby girl in March.

Sue Axon, 51, a mother-of-five from Baguley in Manchester, wanted the law to be changed to stop under-16s seeking confidential advice on contraception. Her eldest daughter Joy turned 17 on 25 March, days before giving birth to her first child Morgan Booke on Friday 31 March.

Mrs Axon said she regretted having an abortion 20 years ago that caused her ‘guilt, shame and depression’. But the High Court rejected a review of guidelines which state terminations do not need parents’ consent and doctors should respect girls’ confidentiality on 23 January. Mr Justice Silber, sitting in London, said Mrs Axon, or any other parent, had no right to know unless the child decided otherwise.

Mrs Axon told the BBC she took her campaign as far as she could but was told by her solicitor nothing more could be done. ‘There’s nowhere I can go with this now,’ she said. ‘It might take something as terrible as a young person to die in childbirth before something is done.’

Mrs Axon said her daughter has changed her views on the campaign since becoming a mother herself. ‘She didn’t agree with it herself at first, but now she has a daughter of her own everything has changed. On one hand she feels girls should have patient confidentiality, but on the other she also feels pregnant women need supporting.’

Grandchild for ‘abortion’ mother, BBC, 6 April 2006

See also: Confidentiality guidance is lawful, confirms judge, 25 January 2006