The grieving parents of a unborn baby a horror crash have called on the Victorian government to recognise him as a person.
Elodie and Andrew Aldridge, speaking outside court this week, protested their boy Remi was not considered a person in the eyes of the law when he died at 34 weeks.
‘My son was basically nothing in the eyes of the law,’ Ms Aldridge said.
The driver responsible for the carnage, Chrystle Olivia Kemp, 26, has pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury for the three-car crash that struck an intersection east of Shepparton in October last year.
But the charge of causing death relates to the death of Kemp’s five-year-old niece Savannah, who was a passenger in Kemp’s vehicle and suffered catastrophic chest, leg and neck injuries.
The charge of causing serious injury is linked to Elodie, who was pregnant at the time with Remi.
Elodie suffered serious hip and abdomen injuries and paramedics flew her to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, where Remi was delivered stillborn.
Her husband held Remi in his arms after the tragedy.
Elodie and Andrew Aldridge have called for their stillborn son Remi to be recognised by the state government as a person
Chrystle Olivia Kemp has pleaded guilty to the charges in relation to the Shepparton crash
‘I held him. He was a little boy. He was a child,’ Mr Aldridge said.
‘But in the eyes of the law, he was a foetus, and an injury to my wife.’
Ms Aldridge still gets around on crutches and is waiting on a hip replacement one year on from the crash.
She and her husband are pleading for a change in the state legislation to recognise Remi.
‘It’s too late for us, but if we can change for other family not to go through it, we’ll fight for it,’ Ms Aldridge said.
Her husband issued to plea to Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan.
‘Are you kissing your kids tonight? Because we’re not,’ Mr Aldridge said.
‘If NSW can do it, if Queensland can do it, why can’t we?’
The issue intersects with abortion law in Victoria and the government has warned recognition could affect the rights of women to access abortions.
‘A woman or pregnant person can access abortion up to a gestational limit of 24 weeks,’ Victoria’s Department of Health website states.
‘Beyond the 24 weeks, a medical practitioner can provide an abortion if another medical practitioner agrees that an abortion is appropriate in all the circumstances.
Surgical abortions can be provided up to 24 weeks and ‘in certain circumstances beyond that’, the department adds.
Kemp’s plea has been adjourned to November 20, with her bail extended until that date.
