Man tells court he fears girlfriend being forced into UK abortion

A man has asked the High Court in Dublin for an injunction to prevent his girlfriend travelling to the UK for an abortion as he claims she is being forced to do so against her will.

Ms Justice Mary Laffoy adjourned the case until tomorrow so that the woman can receive legal advice.

Her partner claims she is being forced to terminate her pregnancy by her parents and he wants a psychiatrist to determine whether she is exercising a free choice. The couple, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, are both foreign nationals who live in Ireland.

The court action was initiated after the man discovered arrangements were made for his girlfriend to have an abortion in the UK. He claims he has no desire to restrain her travelling should that be her freely held wish but he believes she is being forced to undergo the procedure by her family.

Family acceptance
The court was told the couple, who are in their 20s, have known each other for a year but the woman's family has not accepted their relationship.

The man says his girlfriend’s family is unhappy that she is in involved with someone of non-European origin. In an affidavit to the court, he said the woman “is happy to be pregnant” and had “never expressed any desire to have an abortion”.

Counsel for the Attorney General told the court she believed she did not have a role to play, but Ms Justice Laffoy asked that the attorney nonetheless continue to observe the proceedings.