A mother petitioned the New Zealand government this week to pass legislation that would make sure parents are notified if their daughters are found pregnant, preceding any referrals or decisions for abortion.
Hillary Kieft, along with six other people, signed the petition and presented it to Whanganui MP, Hon. Chester Borrows.
The petition requested the New Zealand parliament to pass legislation requiring a parent of a girl under 16 to be informed of her confirmed pregnancy before she is "referred for any resulting medical procedure, and that any consent sought for the medical procedure be fully informed as to procedure, possible repercussions, and after-effects."
Kieft, a mother of six children, was devastated when she discovered that her daughter was taken for an abortion during school hours at the age of 15 without her knowing or consenting to it.
The family found out about the abortion when her daughter attempted suicide after the teen suffered an entire year of depression, self-hatred, anger, alcohol, and substance abuse.
"Our daughter survived by the grace of God, she survived. But life has never been the same," Kieft said.
"As a mother, how do you deal with that?" Kieft asked participants at a Family First Forum.
Parents are required to sign consent forms for field trips, basic first aid care, and dental treatment. But in New Zealand, girls of any age are given the power to have abortion without the knowledge or consent of their parents because of the Care of Children Act 2004.
Abortions are planned during school hours by school counselors, health nurses, or other staff members. Some family planning and other sexual health agencies are also illegally involved in secret abortions.
Dame Colleen Bayer, Family Life International NZ's National Director, said she was very saddened that parental rights seem to be the only concern of parents. She felt disturbed that many parents appear to be in favour of their child's abortion and generally show little or no concern for the life of their grandchild.
"Abortion is a family issue," she said. "It affects everyone. This child could be the very means of pulling the whole family together. We'd like to find a way of reaching the hearts of those parents to show that we care, and that we can advocate for, and offer a life-giving solution—that is the best for both the young girl, and where necessary, the father of the baby."
