Abortion law outdated and cruel
Belfast Telegraph, Editor’s Viewpoint – 10 October 2013
It would take a very hard heart not to be moved by the story of Sarah Ewart in this newspaper today. The young mum and her husband were devastated when they were told that the unborn baby was suffering from a severe form of spina bifida and had no chance of survival.
But, unlike any other part of the UK, Sarah could not have a termination here because of our archaic laws. Instead she had to travel to London to have an abortion which she had to pay for.
This was not a decision taken lightly. As Sarah says, the baby was much wanted and had it been affected by a condition like Down’s Syndrome she would never have considered a termination. It was not a case of ending an inconvenient pregnancy but rather a purely logical decision given the circumstances. While terminations are permissible here they can only be performed where the mother’s life is at risk or there is a long term or permanent risk to her physical or mental health.
Those are extremely restrictive terms and surely this case – and there inevitably will be others of a similar nature – should make the politicians think again.
Read full article: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
