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18/08/2014

Ireland's Abortion Laws Criticised

There has been widespread criticism of Ireland's laws regarding abortions after a report at the weekend revealed that a suicidal woman had been refused a termination.

It is understood that the woman was a victim of rape and was said to be a suicide risk by a panel of medical experts. She is said to have first requested an abortion at eight weeks, but claims health staff refused to terminate her pregnancy until the baby was older and could be delivered via caesarean section.

Under the Republic of Ireland's Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013, a woman now has the right to an abortion if her life is at risk. This included at risk of suicide.

No further details regarding the woman have been released in order to protect her identity.

The decision to refuse her request for an abortion has been met with criticism from both anti-abortion and pro-choice groups.

Stephanie Lord, a spokesperson for Choice Ireland, said: "This case has shown that the law is not fit for purpose.

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"Choice Ireland pointed to potential difficulties like this when the legislation was being drafted and this will not be the last case where a woman seeking an abortion to save her life makes the headlines while this legislation remains on the statute books.

"We are calling for a referendum to repeal the 8th amendment so that women can avail of the healthcare and medical treatments that they need."

Dr Ruth Cullen, spokesperson for Pro Life Campaign, said: "It is agreed on all sides that abortion is not a treatment for suicidal feelings yet the Government pressed ahead and railroaded through legislation that is not evidence-based and provides for abortion based on a threat of suicide. We now have the situation where doctors are placed in the situation of making decisions knowing there is not a shred of evidence to back any of them up.

"Reports that an unborn baby was recently delivered at 25 weeks, citing provisions in the new abortion Act, underlines the horror and deep seated flaws of the Government's legislation. To induce a pregnancy at such an early stage inevitably puts the baby at risk of serious harm, such as brain damage, blindness or even death.

"To put a defenceless baby through all this, and to pretend the intervention is medically indicated when it is known that there is no evidence to back it up, is a chilling aberration of law and medicine. The fact that the panel could just as easily have sanctioned an abortion in this case also brings home everything that is wrong about the new law."

The new legislation came into force on January this year. They were drawn up following the death of Savita Halappanavar at a Galway hospital in October 2012. She was denied an abortion as she miscarried at 17 weeks pregnant.

(JP/IT)

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"There has been widespread criticism of Ireland's laws regarding abortions after a report at the weekend revealed that a suicidal woman had been refused a termination."