“In an open letter sent to the public prosecution service, 215 women
said they have either taken abortion pills themselves or helped women
procure them – which is illegal according to Northern Ireland’s strict
abortion laws.”
“The letter comes in response to a court case which began in Belfast last week (19 June 2015),
which saw a mother in her thirties accused of supplying ‘poison’ (known
abortion pills Mifepristone and Misoprostol) for her daughter to have a
miscarriage.”
“The woman –
who cannot be named to ensure her daughter’s identity is protected -
faces two charges of unlawfully procuring a medical abortion medicine,
known for its use in terminating pregnancies.”
“The ongoing case is extremely rare in Northern Ireland, and led pro-choice group Alliance For Choice to release the open letter.”
“Goretti Horgan, one of the signatories, explained:
“It’s the first
time, to our knowledge, that someone has actually gone past preliminary
enquiry for assisting an abortion.”
“It’s unfair because hundreds of women have been doing it for years.”
“We thought the only way to get this message across was to tell the
truth which is that hundreds and hundreds of women in Ireland have done
exactly this. If it’s not for themselves, they do it for daughters,
nieces, sisters and friends.”
“Abortion is legal in Northern Ireland, but only if a woman can prove her life is at risk.”
“Women are unable to have legal abortions if they are victims of rape or
incest, given a diagnosis of foetal abnormality, or their health is at
risk from pregnancy.”
“Around 4,000 women … leave the country to seek abortions elsewhere each year.”
“Many more order ‘illegal’ pills online from websites such as Women on Web which provide World Health Organisation-approved abortion pills, such as Mifepristone and Misoprostol.”
“But in Northern Ireland, helping others take these pills carries the
risk of a lengthy jail sentence, and the 1861 Offences Against the
Persons Act carries a penalty of life imprisonment for women who have
illegal abortions.”
“Horgan, who has helped women procure
abortion pills by letting them use her credit card and address, said
that the letter’s signatories want to “join the woman in the dock” and
will start handing themselves in to the police if no action is taken.”
“We hope that some of us will be arrested, if not all of us.”
“They should be prosecuting all of us.”
“Detective Superintendent Andrea McMullan said:
“Police are aware of the letter and are assessing its contents.
“Abortion is a very emotive issue and as police our role is to uphold
the law. It would depend on the specific circumstances of an incident as
to whether or not an offence has been committed and each case would be
investigated on its own merit.”
“Police would remind the
public not to take prescription drugs that have not been prescribed to
them. The taking of any prescription drug is potentially harmful if used
without appropriate medical supervision.”
“She said the idea of being arrested for her abortion has crossed her
mind, especially since she’s spoken out publicly about it and now helps
women in the Republic of Ireland buy abortion pills online.”
“It’s illegal for me to help.”
“It wouldn’t be great to go to
prison. But at the same time I’d rather have that hanging over me than
wondering whether women are going to drink bleach, or throw themselves
down the stairs.”
“I don’t think the Government has the guts to bring charges against me.”
