The Pro-Life Campaign moved yesterday to distance itself from the pregnancy advice agency at the centre of the Baby A case by calling for stricter regulations governing the operation of such counselling groups.
The Pro-Life Campaign press officer, Mr John Smyth, said he knew the founder of the agency involved in the High Court case, who had links with the Irish anti-abortion movement. However, he was not a member of the Pro-Life Campaign.
"Pregnancy counselling agencies should be obliged to operate to the same standards, and in accordance with the existing procedures, of the already established caring agencies, such as LIFE and CURA."
The Life Pregnancy Care Service also stressed that it had no connection with the agency involved in the Baby A case. "Our policy, and the policy of most agencies, is that if a woman has a real desire to place her baby for adoption, she would be referred to an adoption agency," spokeswoman Ms Julie Heffernan said. Most of their counsellors were trained in pregnancy and post-abortion counselling, not pre-adoption counselling.
Meanwhile, the Irish Association of Social Workers urged the Department of Health to carry out a full investigation into the operation of the pregnancy advice agency involved. The agency has provided advice for some 2,000 women since its foundation in 1995, and an IASW spokeswoman said the Department should contact it to ensure they had not been hurt or distressed by the experience.
In order to prevent a recurrence of this case, all future pregnancy advisory services should only be provided through State agencies, the Adopted People's Association said.
Pregnancy advisory services were too important to be left to the private sector. "The hurt and damage caused by illegal adoptions is clear. " the association said. "The APA consistently receives calls for help to trace natural families from people living all over the world who were illegally adopted in Ireland in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s."
It said some of these people were the victims of severe physical, sexual and emotional abuse, handed down to them by their "adoptive parents". "Although some of these situations are horrific, it is not surprising when one considers that these `parents' were never assessed or screened as to their suitability for adoption, nor were the relevant authorities ever informed that the children in the care of these `parents' were, in fact, adopted."