The embattled Miss D, the Irish 17 year old who sought an abortion but was doggedly obstructed by the Health Service Executive, has now thankfully been given the go-ahead by the Irish High Court.
The court says she is free to travel abroad to have the abortion (which the law forbids her in the Republic).
They've ruled that the HSE was acting quite improperly in preventing her from carrying out her decision, and confirmed that there is no statutory or constitutional bar to her leaving the country for this purpose.
The HSE is left with a large quantity of egg on its face, while Miss D can at last decide the future of her baby without outside interference.
I wish her well and hope she has the emotional and psychological strength to deal with the loss of her potential child.
Of course this whole legal wrangle wouldn't have occurred if it was easier to get an abortion in the Republic and the Church didn't still have such a stranglehold on all those in a position to change the situation.
The Church's censorious view on abortion doesn't even reflect the general feeling of the Irish people. Since 1967 an estimated 45,000 pregnant women have voted with their feet and travelled to Britain for terminations. They are prepared to defy the law and lie about their nationality to achieve their wishes. Just how long will this desperate exodus continue?
(see also Abortion Limbo)
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I caught the coverage of the protests and counter-protests about this case in the Irish Indo. Favourite placard slogan... 'Keep your rosaries off my ovaries'.
ReplyDeleteGenius!
I love it! Witty, succinct and clear-cut, all in six words. I salute the author.
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