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Young artist hanged herself after grief of aborting her twins
Last updated at 23:07pm on 22.02.08A talented artist hanged herself because she was overcome with grief after aborting her twins, an inquest heard yesterday.
Emma Beck, 30, left a note saying: "Living is hell for me. I should never have had an abortion.
"I see now I would have been a good mum. I told everyone I didn't want to do it, even at the hospital."
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No counsellors were available to see Emma Beck in Treliske Hospital, Truro. The 30-year-old had made numerous 'cries for help' after her abortion
"I was frightened, now it is too late. I died when my babies died.
"I want to be with my babies - they need me, no one else does."
Yesterday an inquest heard that in the run-up to the termination Miss Beck discussed it with her GP, who described her as "extremely vulnerable".
She missed one hospital appointment and cancelled another before finally seeing a doctor at Treliske hospital in Truro, Cornwall.
But the counsellor at the unplanned pregnancy clinic was on holiday, so the doctor gave her the number of a "telephone pregnancy counselling service".
Eight days later, in September 2006, the same doctor performed the termination.
In February the following year, the night before her 31st birthday, Miss Beck hanged herself at her home in Helston.
She had recently split up with her boyfriend, identified only as Ben, who was said to have "reacted badly" to her pregnancy.
The Truro inquest heard that Miss Beck's mother later contacted the hospital, demanding to know why she was not given more support.
Sylvia Beck, 62, from Woking, Surrey, wrote: "I want to know why she was not given the opportunity to see a counsellor.
"She was only going ahead with the abortion because Ben did not want the twins. I believe this is what led Emma to take her own life, because she could not live with what she had done."
But the doctor who dealt with Miss Beck told the hearing she had received all the necessary care.
She said: "I discussed Emma's situation with her, and wrote on the form 'Unsupported, lives alone, ex-partner aware'.
"The clinic counsellor was away, so I gave her the number of the telephone pregnancy counsellor and encouraged her to ring.
"It is normal practice to give a woman the number when a counsellor is not available.
"I am satisfied that everything was done to make sure that Emma consented to the operation.
"She had already been counselled by doctors by the time I saw her. As far as I can recall, Emma did not express any doubts about her decision. There is never any pressure put on a woman to choose either way."
But she added: "We have since appointed more counsellors so there is more holiday cover."
Her boss at the clinic said: "The time that can be given to a woman by a counsellor is limited in a busy hospital.
"I am satisfied everything was done to make sure Emma was consenting to surgery. There were lots of individuals who would be alert to any doubts. The comments made by Emma's mother are not about a doctor I recognise."
Cornwall coroner Dr Emma Carlyon agreed to a request from NHS lawyers for the names of the two hospital doctors to be kept secret.
The court heard that Miss Beck made numerous "cries for help" after the termination.
In January last year, she tried to kill herself after watching a TV programme which featured foetuses.
Her GP, Dr Katie Gibbs, told the hearing: "Emma was extremely distressed by the abortion procedure, and I didn't think she ever came to terms with it.
"Emma had always been extremely vulnerable, but unfortunately always refused the help that was offered to her. She had a long history of anxiety and depression. Despite my best efforts, she was not willing to see a counsellor after the termination."
Mrs Beck told the court her daughter had suffered ME and viral fatigue, but had been bright, "studious" and hard-working.
She had moved to Cornwall to study fine art at Falmouth College of Arts.
In a statement read out at the hearing, Mrs Beck said: "Emma was considered a talented artist and sold a number of paintings.
"During the last year of her life, she was in love with Ben and they lived together. She was pleased when she became pregnant, but Ben reacted badly to the news."
Recording a verdict of suicide, Dr Carlyon said: "It is clear that the termination of pregnancy can have a profound effect on a woman's life.
"But I am reassured by the evidence of the doctors here today."
Reader views (6)
Once again we see how those in authority are shielded and rendered unaccountable. The lawyers on behalf of the doctors persuaded the Coroner to agree that the doctors' names should not be revealed. Everything was done to make sure that she consented, said one. The phraseology is revealing.
- Mark Rogers, London, U.K.
This case highlights the lack of information and support that women are given at a time of great need. It makes me angry to think that people are given counselling before they make the decision to have plastic surgery and not when they are making the decision to end their own childs life. Women are often desperate and feel that this is their only option. If abortion is available then so also should be the information for women to make an informed choice. It is also up to all the women out there who have suffered pain and loss following an abortion to make their voices heard so that changes can take place. It is time for this subject to come out of the shadows and for women to be honest with each other about the pain it can cause. For some women it may be an acceptable choice but for many I feel that it carries a lifetime of guilt and regret.
- Michelle Yates, Lancashire, England
It is about time abortion was taken more seriously and the time limit be lowered to a lot less than what it currently is. A lot of the time the reasons why women choose to go down that route is because of selfish self-obsessed partners who refuse to commit or support. Let's hope that this Ben person can live with the consequences of what he did to that poor girl. Being a Catholic, I do not agree with abortion for any reason but the utter despair this girl must have suffered which led her to it cannot be under estimated. One thought does trouble me however, why was the girl's mother not able to support her daughter in her hour of need and prevent her from going through with it? The NHS isn't the best place to go if you have a problem but counsellors can only do so much, they are not super humans nor mind readers. It seems as though she was completely deserted by those she loved and who should have been by her side. God bless you Emma, I hope you are with your twins.
- Jessie, LONDON
A lot more should be done to educate women about pregnancy (for example, I didn't know 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage until I had one). It would really help if women could decide on their course of action sooner, rather than later, before a full-on foetus is formed. Most women learn about pregnancy during the course of being pregnant, which is ludicrously late. Girls should grow up understanding what their bodies are capable of.
- Roz, Chamonix, France
Above and beyond even personal survival there is the drive for breeding the next generation, for want of a better term. While there is a time for abortion in given circumstances, unfortunate though that might be, there is always going to be a cost. For this unfortunate lady the price was too high.
She needed more help than she got, perhaps more than those who could possibly have helped realized.
- Rogan, DFW Texas
The state and much of society regards abortion as little more than a minor physical operation, the removal of an inconvenience, whereas the truth is that it can have devastating emotional effects, now or later.
So we hear "Everything was done ... time limited .. no pressure .."
Surprised they didn't spout the usual "Lessons will be learned" but instead we got:
"Dr Carlyon said: "It is clear that the termination of pregnancy can have a profound effect on a woman's life. "
Well duh !
- Stan(Expat), usa
