THE Society for the Protection of Unborn Children has made representations on behalf of Ms Roisin McAliskey, a high security prisoner in Holloway Prison, England, and her unborn child.
Dr Mary Lucey, president of the society, said she had requested the society's sister organisation in England to make representations to the prison authorities since Ms McAliskey was not in prison in the Irish jurisdiction.
Ms McAliskey is facing extradition to Germany in connection with an IRA mortar attack on a British army base at Osnabruck last June. The German authorities claim she was a member of a five person IRA cell which carried out the attack.
Dr Lucey said she had approached the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children in England following constant phone calls to her on the issue, many of them anonymous and, some of them "quite aggressive in tone".
"We are primarily a pro life, anti abortion society and we have nothing to do with campaigns as such," said Dr Lucey, "but we would also have a duty obligation to protect Irish mothers from the effects of abortion and to protect the life of the unborn child, so it would be within our remit to some degree."
The society has been informed by Dr Zena Labounkova, head of health care in Holloway Prison, that there is no need for concern about the expectant mother and, her child. According to Dr Labounkova, Ms McAliskey is being seen a number of times each week by midwives and nursing staff and is under the care of a consultant obstetrician who also attends the Whittington Hospital.
"We are assured that she is getting adequate medical attention and there is nothing more we can do," concluded Dr Lucey.
Ironically, Ms McAliskey's mother, former mid Ulster MPG Ms Bernadette McAliskey, took a High Court action against SPUC in the mid 1980s. The action was settled in 1987, with the society issuing an apology and paying a contribution towards Ms McAliskey's costs.
The Roisin McAliskey Justice Campaign was unavailable for comment yesterday.