The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) mandate states that the 12-year-old’s life support should not be taken off after his parents failed to persuade the Supreme Court to intervene. Archie’s mother and father, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, applied to the UN earlier on Friday to delay the withdrawal of their son’s life support while their complaint was investigated. The family argued that stopping treatment would breach the UK’s obligations under Articles 10 and 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Article 6 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Responding to the news, Ms Dance said: “I am so grateful to the UN for their response and for acting so quickly for my son. We were under so much stress and anxiety. we are already broken and not knowing what was going to happen next was excruciating. Learning this news now means everything. “This is the first time something like this has happened [the] history of this inhumane system in the UK. There have been so many ups and downs, but we’ve put on the full armor of God, we’ve entered the fray and now we’ve given Archie time – that’s all we’ve ever asked for.’ The youngster has been reliant on mechanical ventilation since being admitted to hospital on April 7, when he was found unconscious with a ligature over his head. Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, believe he is dead from his brain stem and say continued life support treatment is not in his best interests. Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Center which supported the family’s case, said: “We are delighted with the response from the UN. It is time for the UK’s procedures regarding the preventive termination of children’s lives to be brought under international scrutiny. “We now hope and pray that the UN commission can bring justice to Archie and his family, as well as other disabled people in UK hospitals in future cases. “Life is the most precious gift we have. “We have stood with the family since the beginning three months ago after the tragedy and now we continue to pray for this beautiful boy, Archie, and for everyone involved.” Responding to an appeal by Archie’s family, the UN CRPD wrote to his parents and legal team, saying: “In accordance with article 4 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and in accordance with rule 64 of its Rules of Procedure Committee, The Committee, acting through its Special Rapporteur on Communications, requested the State party to refrain from withdrawing life-sustaining medical care, including mechanical ventilation and artificial nutrition and hydration, from the alleged victim as long as the case is examined by the Commission. this request does not imply that a decision has been made on the merits of the matter under consideration. “The Committee may reconsider the necessity of maintaining the request for provisional measures once the State Party’s observations have been received.”
