IN an ideal world, 14-year-olds would not get pregnant.

But, what has taken place in the real world lets down both parents and children.

Melissa Smith is the 14-year-old Nottinghamshire schoolgirl who had an abortion arranged for her by a school outreach worker without her, now outraged, mother's knowledge.

Maureen Smith points out that she had to sign two lots of forms for her daughter to have an appendix operation. An abortion does not even rate a phone call.

I am sure the case sent a horrible cold chill through the spines of many parents at the realisation that something so traumatic - both now and possibly later - could be carried out without any reference to them.

We try to rear our children in a family hierarchy which puts parents in charge of setting the agenda for children to follow.

They need permission to go out with friends, approval to undertake certain activities, agreement to change important details about their lives.

Abortion may be a woman's right to choose, but is it a child's right to choose when parents are still held responsible for their actions?

There may be circumstances - individual and rare - when another authority may need to promote a child's decision above parental approval.

And it would be wrong to make a child go through with a pregnancy she did not want when a termination was available and suitable.

But, abortion is a big decision. It needs realistic discussion with all the parties involved and certainly with a child's parents.

For a school to take over the parental role, effectively telling mum and dad "this decision is not for you to take", may be within the law but it is morally indefensible.

This needs much further public debate, and I'm glad that Melissa's case is now to go before the European Court of Human Rights, ensuring it stays in the public eye.