1 July 2012
Media Release
The International Criminal Court – Processing Complaint Against The New Zealand Government for Crimes Against Humanity
Right to Life is pleased that the International Criminal Court [ICC] in The Hague has initiated a formal legal
preliminary examination into a complaint against the New Zealand government for crimes against humanity. Right to Life
welcomes the preliminary examination by the Prosecutor of the ICC and expects that it will encourage the government to
comply with its obligations under international law and United Nations Conventions.This complaint was lodged with the
Court by SavingDowns and Right to Life New Zealand. SavingDowns is an organised group of parents with children with Down
syndrome. Their children are greatly loved and valued as members of their families and communities.
The complaint is in respect to the government’s controversial ante-natal screening programme introduced nationally in
February 2010. The Ministry of Health directed that doctors and midwives were obligated to offer screening to all
pregnant women in New Zealand. One of the declared objective of this programme was to prevent the births of babies born
in New Zealand with Down syndrome and other conditions such as Spina Bifida.. It was expected that the screening
programme would result in up to 90 per cent of babies diagnosed in the womb with Down syndrome being killed before
birth. This is eugenics that decrees that only the perfect may be born. It is a crime against humanity.
Human life begins at conception. At the moment of conception the new human being is endowed by its Creator with human
rights, the foundation right being an inalienable right to life. From conception the unborn child is entitled to the
respect and protection that is accorded to the human person. Unborn children diagnosed as having Down syndrome are
members of the human family and do not forfeit their right to life because of a genetic condition. Right to Life calls
upon the government to cease discrimination against the unborn with Down syndrome or other conditions.