Advanced Search

International Crimes

In the modern world with increased communication and travel opportunities crime is increasingly an international issue. International crime includes: technology crime (such as money laundering, fraud, confidence tricksters or other internet scams), immigration offences, extradition (either into or out of this country). The Crown Prosecution Service cooperates with international agencies in order to effectively prosecute international crimes.

Investigation and prosecution of immigration offences

Legal guidance on Immigration offences and protocol

Factsheet about extradition

Crimes involving young people

Young people as victims and witnesses

Being a victim or a witness to a crime is not easy, but we work hard to bring offenders to justice. Throughout the justice process we will support young victims and witnesses and treat them with dignity.

Find out more about how we support young victims and witnesses

Youth crime

The Crown Prosecution Service acts in partnership with other agencies such as the police, the youth justice board, children's services, courts and youth offending teams. Each area of the CPS has a youth justice specialist who oversees the prosecution of youth crime in their area.

Find out more about how we prosecute youth crime

Home » News Centre » Press Releases » CPS discontinues case against Dr Saraj Adlakha and Shilpa Abrol

CPS discontinues case against Dr Saraj Adlakha and Shilpa Abrol

01/10/2007

West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service has informed Birmingham Crown Court that there is no longer sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and will terminate the proceedings in the case against Dr Saroj Adlakha and her daughter Shilpa Abrol who were both charged with conspiracy to commit child destruction abroad.

It is the duty of the Crown Prosecution Service to keep cases under review. Following new information, a CPS senior lawyer in conjunction with Counsel and the police carried out a careful review and submitted the file to the Attorney General to review her original consent.

In the light of the new evidence that was presented to her, Baroness Scotland withdrew her consent to the prosecution.

In 2004, undercover reporters from a national newspaper conducted a series of investigations on a Spanish clinic and Dr Adlakha, following concerns about allegedly late abortions being carried out there.

All efforts by the prosecution to establish the authenticity of records of the alleged late abortions through official channels with the Spanish authorities, and police enquiries elsewhere, were unsuccessful and led to the termination of this case.

  1. Following a police investigation, a file was submitted to the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service in January 2005, which alleged that in November 2003, Dr Adlakha had arranged for her teenage daughter, Ms Abrol, to have an abortion in Spain when her pregnancy was too far advanced for an abortion to be carried out at a clinic in the UK. The circumstances in which an abortion can be legally carried out in the UK are governed by the Abortion Act 1967.
  2. In December 2005, both Dr Adlakha and Ms Abrol were jointly charged with one offence of conspiracy to commit child destruction abroad.
  3. The prosecution of this offence requires the consent of the Attorney General. This was granted and a trial was listed to commence on 13th November 2007.
  4. Local media should contact CPS West Midlands on 0121 262 1531 and for national queries CPS Press Office on 020 7796 8105.