THE Church of England curate who has successfully won the right to challenge the UK's abortion laws in the High Court has asked the Hereford Times to pass on a message of sympathy to the family at the centre of the case.

The Rev Joanna Jepson last week got the go-ahead to take on West Mercia police, over its refusal to prosecute doctors in Hereford who carried out a late abortion on a woman because she did not want a baby with a cleft palate.

Speaking to the Hereford Times, Miss Jepson said amid the jubilation, the Hereford-shire family involved was 'very much' at the centre of her thoughts.

"I think about them every day. It was never my intention to go after them, blame them or judge them in any way," she said.

"This is not about any one family, it's about the principles involved - the interpretation of the law by doctors and the advice that is given to people at one of the most vulnerable times in their life."

Surgery

The abortion in question was carried out when the woman, from Herefordshire, was more than 24 weeks pregnant, which is the legal limit for terminations unless there is a risk of serious disability.

Miss Jepson, who underwent corrective surgery as a teenager on a congenital jaw abnormality, believes that a cleft lip and palate does not constitute a serious handicap.

"I just want to get the message across that never mind the problems the child may face, never mind the sacrifices the parents have to make - abortion in these circumstances is not the answer.

"And the problem will not just go away, regardless of what society thinks, simply by removing the baby's life."

Looking ahead, Miss Jepson is currently waiting for a date to be fixed for the High Court hearing and is taking a breather from all the media attention.

Since first speaking to the Hereford Times, the 27-year-old has been inundated with requests for interviews from television, radio and newspapers all over the world.

"While the High Court's decision to hear the case is a cause for celebration, I'm finding the attention a little bit much at the moment. My life is not my own, but I suppose I'll have to get used to it."

Miss Jepson said she had been cheered by the 'hundreds and hundreds' of letters of goodwill she had received.