Doctors for Choice wishes to express its shock and outrage at what appears to have been a pattern of cruel inhuman and degrading treatment meted out to the young migrant woman rape survivor who was denied an abortion recently in Ireland. Reports in today’s Irish Times are horrific and numbing.
Dr Mary Favier said ‘We are particularly concerned that the only options that appear to have been available to this young woman were an enforced cesarean or a forced pregnancy. No other European country would countenance this barbaric practice.’
She added ‘We therefore call on the HSE to set up an independent inquiry and recall Professor Sabaratnam Arulkumaran to chair it. We recognise that Professor Arulkumaran has an eminent professional background and that he gained a valuable insight into the Irish Health Service having chaired the Savita Inquiry in 2013. We request that an independent inquiry be set up as a matter of urgency’ she added.
Dr Peadar O’Grady said ‘In addition we request the Government hold a referendum in 2015 to repeal the 8th amendment. We believe that there is no bright line distinction between the health and lives of women- we believe doctors must practice a continuum of healthcare and that abortion should be decriminalised.’
He added ‘ The Irish Government continues to fail to meet two tests arising from the judgment of A,B and C v Ireland- there must be an effective and accessible procedure for abortion- the guidelines appear to not even guarantee an abortion for a woman at the risk of suicide.’
Furthermore ‘In addition the ‘chilling effect’ of 14 years prison for doctors and women in the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Act 2013 persists’.
Doctors for Choice Ireland 