Rescued from the agony of abortion

Your article last week on women suffering trauma after an abortion being sent to the Good Counsel Network raised the issue of buffer zones around abortion clinics. I am writing on behalf of more than 30 women to express our deep distress at the campaign to introduce them.

The Good Counsel Network, which has been so resoundingly criticised, offered us our only way out of abortion. All of us were having abortions for a wide array of reasons: domestic violence, abandonment, lack of rights to stay in the UK, no recourse to public funds, pressure from family, lack of money, joblessness and homelessness. None of us sought abortion as our choice, but we sought abortion as the only choice we had. Many of us, upon entering Marie Stopes or British Pregnancy Advisory Service centres, were not asked about our reasons. None of us was offered any help or support to continue our pregnancies by these centres.

Only through meeting Good Counsel employees and volunteers did any of us receive offers of help that actually tackled our real problems (housing, ongoing moral support, financial help, legal advice).

If buffer zones are introduced, this chance will be denied to hundreds of other women. Delushka De Silva, Mary’s Turnarounds I must register my disgust at your crude interpretation of wonderful work done by pro-life people. You labelled as fanatics kind, helpful people who care about mums-to-be and babies.

Wendy Walker, Luton I can’t see what the pro-life activists were doing wrong. Surely a woman going in for an abortion would be interested to see the plastic lifesize foetuses on display? Is it remotely justifiable for any woman to decide that ending a little life is truly the only option, no matter her circumstances?

Patricia McKeever, Editor, Catholic Truth