Assembly on abortion hears women’s stories

Personal accounts of women affected by the Eighth Amendment

THE Citizens’ Assembly yesterday heard distressing personal accounts from women who have been affected by our abortion laws.

The pre-recorded audio interviews were heard as the Assembly met at the Grand Hotel, Malahide, Co Dublin, to discuss the topic.

The women had been directly affected by the 1983 amendment that provided for the equal right to life of the mother and the unborn.

The group included women who have had a crisis pregnancy or who have received a diagnosis of a lifelimiting condition in the foetus.

A spokesperson for the Assembly said no direct testimony will be given from a woman who regretted having had an abortion.

The women gave very different accounts of how they were affected by current abortion laws. One woman told of ‘skipping’ into her 12-week scan, only to be told her baby would not survive. She was told she would not be induced until the heartbeat stopped and felt as if her life was worth the same as a non-viable baby. She showed signs of pre-eclampsia and said her physical and mental health were allowed to suffer. The woman sent her files to a hospital in Liverpool who felt it was kinder to both her and her baby to terminate.

‘I remember telling my daughter how sorry I was that I wasn’t able to continue with the pregnancy.’

Another told how she discovered she was pregnant in a public toilet and flew to London for an abortion. She has never regretted her decision. Another woman told how she had two babies at a young age, before getting pregnant for a third time. She knew she couldn’t have a third baby, but the abortion happened at a late stage in pregnancy because she and her partner had to turn to a loan shark to pay to travel. This woman has no doubt abortion was the right decision: ‘There was still this weird shame. I’ve been called a murderer. I’ve been called Hitler... I’m not a murderer. I’m responsible. Hopeful,’ she added.

Another woman described how she ‘thanks God’ there is no abortion in Ireland, despite the fact that she married a man she did not want to after finding out she was pregnant in the 1970s: ‘If you give life a choice, it brings amazing joy,’ she told the assembly.

There were more than 200 personal submissions on abortion from women, family, friends and doctors made to the Assembly. Only five of those related to women who said they regretted their abortion.

Earlier, legal experts gave their opinion on our abortion law. One told the Assembly the Eighth Amendment establishes the right to life of the unborn and is not a constitutional ban on abortion ‘per se’. Emily Egan SC said Article 40.3.3 only governs a situation where the balance is to be drawn between the mother’s right to life and that of the foetus.

Another barrister told the Assembly the most ‘secure’ way for Ireland to achieve a similar abortion system to England would be to ‘remove or replace’ the Eighth and allow the Oireachtas to legislate on abortion. Brian Murray SC said the ‘critical question is what will the extent of the power for the Oireachtas to legislate for abortion be in a constitutional situation?’

Ms Justice Mary Laffoy said that this weekend is the last where substantive material will be presented. The fifth and final weekend on the topic will focus on agreeing on the Assembly’s recommendations.

‘I’ve been called Hitler. I’m not a murderer’