Parents call on Victorian government to recognise baby Remi after car crash

In an emotional plea, the parents of a little baby who was delivered stillborn after 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,” Elodie said.

The driver responsible for the carnage, 26-year-old Chrystle Olivia Kemp, 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.

Andrew said he held Remi in his arms after the tragedy.

“I held him. He was a little boy. He was a child,” he said.

“But in the eyes of the law, he was a foetus, and an injury to my wife.”

The parents are pleading for a change in 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,” Elodie said.

But 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.