WOMAN FACES TRIAL ON ABORTION CHARGES IN BELFAST
Last week, a 21-year-old woman from Co Down appeared in Belfast Magistrate’s Court facing two criminal charges under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861: taking poisonous substances, namely drugs Mifepristone and Misoprostol, to abort her unborn child, and supplying the same poisonous substances to another person knowing that they were to be used for an abortion.
District Judge Fiona Bagnall confirmed that she had a case to answer and ordered her to stand trial at Belfast Crown Court at a later date.
Welcoming this case, Bernadette Smyth, the director of Precious Life, the leading pro-life group in Northern Ireland, affirmed:
“Abortion is a criminal offence in Northern Ireland, governed by sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and section 25 of the Criminal Justice Act (NI) 1945.
“This case sends out a very clear message that anyone who commits the abominable crime of killing a vulnerable and defenceless unborn child will be held accountable to the law. Let’s remember that in this case and in every abortion there is a silent victim who cannot lift her head to defend herself: the innocent unborn child.
“Those in the medical profession who complain of the ‘chilling effect’ and ‘climate of fear’ because they want to be free from the shackles of threatened prosecution are only reassuring us that the law, no matter how old the legislation may be, is still more powerful than them. Just like any other criminal, if a doctor or anyone else were to distribute abortion pills or perform an abortion, it is in the interests of justice that he or she is caught and brought to trial."
Also commenting on this case, Caitriona Forde, speaking on behalf of Stanton Healthcare Belfast, said:
“Women deserve better than the likes of Women on Web, Marie Stopes, or any other organisation who exploit women and kill their unborn children. What women need is real care and support. Stanton Healthcare Belfast is here to provide that loving care and practical support. We are here to empower women to make the right choice which upholds the value and dignity of both mother and baby."
Precious Life awaits the outcome of the trial.