Joanna Howe, the main architect behind controversial “forced birth” abortion legislation in South Australia, has accused high-profile women of being part of a “baby-killers club” on social media. Howe is recognized for her anti-abortion efforts by politicians in both state and federal parliaments.
On platforms like Instagram and X, Howe shared distorted illustrations of several women, including South Australian Greens leader Tammy Franks, with the title “The Baby-Killers Club.” This title echoes the popular book series, “The Baby-Sitters Club.”
Franks responded, saying that Howe’s posts were “designed to promote hatred.”
The women depicted in the posts had voted against or spoken out against legislation Howe helped create. This legislation aimed to force women seeking an abortion after 27 weeks and six days to give birth instead, allowing them the option to keep the baby or put it up for adoption.
Comments on Howe’s posts were filled with personal attacks directed at these women. The list included notable figures such as SA’s deputy premier Susan Close, women’s minister Katrine Hildyard, former Liberal deputy premier and attorney general Vickie Chapman, academic Barbara Baird, SA Best MLC Connie Bonaros, public health professor Katina D’Onise, and Franks.
Howe is an employment law professor at the University of Adelaide. She played a key role in drafting the abortion legislation introduced by Liberal frontbencher Ben Hood, who called her the legal lead on the bill. The bill has been criticized by the Greens and others, who label it as “forced birth” legislation.
Last week, the Howe-Hood bill was narrowly defeated in South Australia’s upper house by a vote of 10 to 9. Hood previously argued that a woman’s right to end a pregnancy remained intact under the proposal because pregnancy ends when a baby is born. He stated, “The innovation of this bill is that it allows a mother to end her pregnancy throughout all nine months and indeed, right up to birth.”
Howe runs a website called Justice for the 45, which claims that 45 “healthy” and “perfect” babies have been legally aborted since SA laws were changed to allow abortions after 22 weeks and six days. However, data from SA Health indicates that in 2023, the year following these reforms, there were only 47 terminations—less than 1% of all abortions performed. These were primarily due to fetal abnormalities or risks to the mother. Fewer than five terminations occurred after 27 weeks in the 18 months after the reforms.
Abortions after 27 weeks are extremely rare and require the approval of two doctors. They can only be carried out if there is a significant risk to the woman or fetus. Such circumstances might include severe fetal abnormalities or threats to the woman’s life or mental health due to situations like rape, incest, or domestic violence.
Franks noted that concerned friends and family had alerted her to Howe’s Instagram post. She expressed confusion over why someone would target only women in parliament, saying, “It baffles me why somebody would do that in the first place.”
Bonaros stated that she hoped Howe would reflect on the hurt her actions caused, not just to her colleagues, but also to affected families. “I’ll sleep comfortably knowing I’ve made the right decision for every woman and family facing the sort of gut-wrenching circumstances that late-term termination brings with it,” she said.
D’Onise commented that abortion is a highly emotional issue. “My focus is on high-quality, scientific, evidence-based health law, policy, and practice,” she added.
Howe has stated that she wants to make abortion “unthinkable.” She has appeared in a video alongside right-wing Liberal senator Alex Antic discussing a “born alive” bill he co-sponsored. This controversial concept, which falsely claims that babies are often born alive after abortions, has been promoted in the U.S. for years.
Howe also filmed a video with Robbie Katter from Katter’s Australian Party regarding his “born alive” legislation. Katter has suggested he might push for a vote to recriminalize abortion in Queensland, making it a significant issue in the state’s upcoming election.
Some politicians have cited Howe’s views in discussions about limiting access to abortion. She opposes allowing women who have abortions to receive the federal government’s stillborn baby payment and has claimed that women opting for later-term abortions are “intentionally inducing a child stillborn.”
In the South Australian parliament, Labor MLC Russell Wortley criticized Howe during the forced birth debate, saying her positions lacked credible sources and were not supported by her university. Wortley claimed he had evidence debunking every point Howe raised.
Howe initially did not respond directly to inquiries from Guardian Australia but later claimed on Instagram that they were preparing a “hit piece” about her. When asked why only women were on her “baby-killers club” list, she stated, “I’m not sure there are only women on the list,” despite the fact that it exclusively included women.
Guardian Australia asked Howe several questions, including whether referring to the “baby-killers club” was appropriate and if her posts were intended to incite hatred. Howe did not answer these directly but read the questions on Instagram. She later shared graphic details about abortions, asserting that the term “baby-killers club” was “pretty apt.”
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