Aisling Hubert
Aisling Hubert

In what is believed to be the first case of its kind to come to court in the UK, a summons has been issued to a doctor accused of offering to authorise an illegal 'gender-abortion'.

The case is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre.

Dr Prabha Sivaraman was last week ordered to appear before Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court in December to face an accusation of conspiracy to procure an unlawful abortion.

She was caught offering abortion on the grounds of gender, during an undercover investigation by a national newspaper in 2012.

However, after a lengthy police investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service took the surprising decision not to proceed with the case - despite finding that there was sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.

The decision not to prosecute attracted widespread criticism from across the political spectrum.

But last month, 21 year old Aisling Hubert, supported by the Christian Legal Centre, launched a rare private prosecution of Dr Sivaraman and of a second doctor in Birmingham.

Now the Magistrates' Court in Manchester has ordered the Doctor to appear next month to face a charge of 'conspiracy to procure poison to be used with intent to procure abortion, contrary to section 59 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861.'

Miss Hubert (pictured) welcomed the development saying "Gender-abortion is a horrible practice. I took this dramatic step because those who should have done so were effectively turning a blind eye."

"Again we have seen the establishment stand silent in the face of the abortion industry, hoping that the horrors will be swept under the carpet and the problems go away. But justice demands that something is done and that people are held to account for their actions. The law can only protect if it is enforced," she explained.

News of the summons comes as MPs backed a Bill last week confirming that 'gender-abortion' is illegal.

A ComRes poll commissioned by Christian Concern and published last week, revealed overwhelming public support for prosecution of doctors who approve 'gender-abortions'. According to the poll, 80% of British adults agree that "where it can be proved that an abortion was authorised on grounds of the baby's gender, the doctor authorising that abortion should be prosecuted."

Commenting on the poll, Aisling said: "I am reassured that the vast majority of the British public is behind me as I seek to secure justice for unborn baby girls."

Andrea Minichiello Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre which is supporting Aisling, said: