It can, indeed, be reasonably argued that in such cases sterilization is very definitely to be preferred to the very unsatisfactory alternative of repeated therapeutic abortion. Nevertheless, any general extension of this practice would, in the opinion of the Committee, be open to serious abuse. The Committee sees a tendency in some quarters to extend the indications for this operation far beyond the bounds of generally accepted medical opinion. The attitude of the Committee towards this matter is therefore the same as towards more specific legalization of therapeutic abortion. _The Prosecution of the Criminal Abortionist._--A very disquieting aspect of this problem is the relative immunity of the criminal abortionist from punishment. Conviction for the crime is rare, even in cases where guilt appears to be proved beyond all reasonable doubt. The Committee has sought to discover the reasons for the failure to obtain conviction. It is apparent that the police authorities are faced with many difficulties. In the first instance conviction is largely dependent on the evidence of a woman who, in the eyes of the law, is an accomplice to the offence, and corroboration of her evidence may be demanded. It has been suggested by certain witnesses that, if the woman were legally exempt from penalty, there would be less reticence about giving evidence and a greater fear on the part of the abortionist. On the other hand, it has been stated to the Committee that where such an indemnity is actually given, this very fact operates against conviction. The Commissioner of Police gave information that-- "Juries are loth to convict in such cases and appear to be impressed by the argument usually advanced by counsel for the defence that, as it was at the solicitation of the woman that the offence was convicted, she is the principal offender, and they adopt the view that unless she also is charged it would be unfair to convict the abortionist. The fact that if the woman was charged she could not be called as a witness, and that, without her evidence, there would be no case, does not appear to weigh with them." It would therefore appear that legalized exemption of the woman would not be a remedy. The very serious statement has been made that--