New abortion statistics have been released in England after a Freedom of Information Request filed by a pro-life group, and the information is shocking.  In short, it reveals thousands of abortions performed on disabled babies for everything from Down Syndrome to cleft palate.

This is the first time the British government has released information regarding abortions performed on the grounds of disabilities in over ten years.  It seems there's probably a reason for that - that being that the data makes people uncomfortable.

Just in the last year alone, records showed:

• 2,290 abortions due to foetal medical problems last year
• 35,000 abortions among under-16s since 2002
• 26 since 2002 due to cleft palate fears
• 147 on babies over 24 weeks into term last year
• Thousands of abortions on 15 and 16 year old girls

From the Daily Mail:

Julia Millington, spokeswoman for the ProLife Alliance, said: 'This is a great victory for transparency and freedom of speech and we are delighted that full information about the justification for late abortions is now being made available in the same detail as it was in 2001.'

The data reveals that in 2010, 482 foetuses were aborted for Down's syndrome, including 10 who were over 24 weeks.

There were also 128 terminations for the nervous disorder spina bifida, including 12 after 24 weeks.

Musculoskeletal problems such as club foot were the reason for 181 abortions, including eight over 24 weeks.

There were seven terminations on the grounds of a cleft palate, rising to 26 terminations for this condition since 2002. ...

The figures were suppressed after a Church of England curate, the Rev Joanna Jepson, went to the High Court to challenge the legality of a baby terminated at 28 weeks in 2001 because it had a cleft palate.

Miss Jepson who was born with a jaw deformation, which was corrected by surgery, said the case demonstrated the 'culture of physical perfection.' ...

The also realeased information on abortions that were performed on girls under the age of sixteen.  The chart below breaks them down by age and number: