Archie Battersbee's mother makes last ditch appeal to Health Secretary

The mother of Archie Battersbee has written an urgent letter to the Health Secretary urging the government to prevent his life support from being withdraw.

The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) has told the government to keep the 12-year-old alive while it considers an application by his family. 

Despite the UN CRPD's injunction, the hospital trust caring for Archie has said it plans to go ahead with removing his life support on Monday. 

The government is yet to respond to the UN CRPD interim measures.

In her letter to Health Secretary Stephen Barclay, Archie's mother, Hollie Dance, said it would be "an extraordinary cruelty" and a "flagrant breach of Archie's rights as a disabled person" if doctors remove his life support. 

"Archie is entitled to have the decisions about his life and death, taken by the NHS and UK courts, to be scrutinised by an international human rights body. Hastening his death to prevent that would be completely unacceptable," she said. 

"I trust that you will now act immediately, as a member of the government responsible for the NHS, to ensure that this does not happen, and our country honours its obligations under the international human rights treaties which we have signed and ratified."

News
Egyptian Christian killed in Libya after refusing to deny Jesus
Egyptian Christian killed in Libya after refusing to deny Jesus

He was killed despite the family paying a ransom.

Widow of Christian killed in Nigeria takes plea for persecuted Christians to Downing Street
Widow of Christian killed in Nigeria takes plea for persecuted Christians to Downing Street

A Nigerian widow who witnessed Boko Haram militants shoot her husband dead after he identified himself as a Christian is joining a delegation handing in a petition to Downing Street on Thursday.

PayPal updates policies on 'hate' and 'intolerance'
PayPal updates policies on 'hate' and 'intolerance'

A number of financial institutions have changed their policies in recent years.

Catholic Church expresses 'serious concern' about proposed conversion therapy ban
Catholic Church expresses 'serious concern' about proposed conversion therapy ban

Efforts to ban so-called 'conversion therapy' are underway across the United Kingdom.