MPs voted last night to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales, marking the biggest change in this area of law for nearly 60 years.
The amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, tabled by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, abolishes the prosecution of women for terminating their pregnancy at any stage up to birth.
It passed by 379 votes to 137, and will now be scrutinised in the House of Lords.
Critics say the plans ignore the harm done to women and the risk of more sex-selective abortions.
Alithea Williams, of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), said she was "horrified" that MPs had backed such an "extreme and barbaric" proposal.
"If this clause becomes law, a woman who aborts her baby at any point in pregnancy, even moments before birth, would not be committing a criminal offence. In fact, by dismissing the Infant Life Preservation Act intended to provide legal protection to a child during birth, a woman who killed her baby during delivery would not be committing an offence," she said.
“Our already liberal abortion law allows an estimated 300,000 babies a year to be killed. Now, even the very limited protection afforded by the law is being stripped away. And this has been pushed by an abortion lobby cynically exploiting a situation that they brought about.
"The cases they use of women being prosecuted for abortion – a number in the single digits – came about because of a policy they championed – sending women abortion pills in the post without in person appointments."
She expressed frustration that such a significant change to abortion laws was voted through after only a few hours of debate and with little notice.
She called on the House of Lords to reject the proposals, adding, "We will never accept a law that puts women in danger and removes all rights from unborn babies.”
Caroline Ansell, policy director at Christian social policy charity CARE, called the vote "truly heartbreaking".
“Parliament has taken an extreme and retrograde step that will pave the way for more, harrowing late-term abortions," she said.
"The decriminalisation of abortion will place women at greater risk of trauma and hospitalisation.
“We believe that both lives matter in every pregnancy. Just societies protect both mothers and babies and provide holistic support to enable their flourishing.”
Lord Alton of Liverpool said: “This hasty change will have profound implications for the way that longstanding law in this country will operate.
"We know that there are potential real risks for the safety of women in particular who will be encouraged towards DIY abortions.
"I expect that colleagues in the House of Lords will wish to scrutinise its provisions very closely and to amend it as necessary to make it safe.“
Right To Life UK spokesperson, Catherine Robinson, said: “Pro-abortion MPs have hijacked a government bill to rush through this radical and seismic change to our abortion laws after just two hours’ debate.
“This is the first time this extreme abortion amendment has been debated in the House of Commons, and there has been no consultation with the public on this seismic law change.
“We will be fighting this amendment at every stage in the Lords.”
Dawn McAvoy, of Both Lives Matter UK, said: "This is not a victory for women – it is a tragic failure. The purpose of abortion law is to protect and support both lives in every pregnancy from toxic substances or dangerous operations.
"Abortion should remain within criminal law because it involves the deliberate ending of a human life. Removing both lives in pregnancy from criminal law puts both lives at risk.
"In effect, parliament have voted to facilitate dangerous backstreet abortions where dangerous, even late-term abortion is legitimised, and women are left more vulnerable than ever.
"This is not healthcare, this is abandonment.”
