Women's council says case raises questions about discrimination

The abortion case controversy raises serious questions about discrimination against the most vulnerable women in society, according to the National Women's Council of Ireland.

"It was assumed the right to travel and information had been completely clarified in 1992 but now we find that those rights may not extend to the most vulnerable in our society," the NWCI chairwoman, Ms Noreen Byrne, said.

Ms Byrne singled out three groups of women whose personal rights under the Constitution could be overruled by the rights of the State or of State institutions. There were minors in the care of the State; physically or mentally disabled adults in the care of the State; and asylum-seekers who may not be able to re-enter the State.

"What if an asylum-seeker was raped here and then prevented from exercising her right to travel?" asked Ms Byrne. Nothing the Minister for Health had said in the Dail this week would resolve the problem.

Commenting on the current case, Ms Byrne said it was vital the rights and best interests of the child were kept in focus.

It was "very disturbing" that the parents of the girl seemed to have fallen prey to "organisations which offer solutions to the problem based on money".

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties expressed concern at the "moral tug of war" over the body of the 13-year-old pregnant rape victim. It called on the Oireachtas to legislate for abortion in the circumstances provided for in the judgment in the X case.

The Pro-Choice Campaign said the case highlighted the failure of successive governments to protect women and their right to choose. It condemned the involvement of Youth Defence and Family and Life as "disgraceful".

The Irish Association of Social Workers called on the media to cover the case in a way that preserved the right to privacy of the girl. Invasion of this privacy would amount to a further violation, it said.