Woman in Northern Ireland prosecuted for doing a medical abortion

Women on Web is shocked by the news that a woman in Northern Ireland is in court for doing a medical abortion herself.

The Irish Times reported on the court case on monday January 11 th, 2016 (http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/irish-woman-accused-of-using-poison-to-procure-abortion-1.2492666)

This prosecution is a severe violation of her right to privacy as protected under the European convention of human rights article 8 and her right health.

The right to health includes both freedoms and entitlements.

  • Freedoms include the right to control one’s health and body (e.g. sexual and reproductive rights) and to be free from interference (e.g. free from torture and from non-consensual medical treatment and experimentation).
  • Entitlements include the right to a system of health protection that gives everyone an equal opportunity to enjoy the highest attainable level of health

 

(http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs323/en/)

Research has proven that a medical abortion can safely be done at home by women themselves as is done by many countries all over the world after being prescribed by a doctor or other healthcare provider. (see http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/unsafe_abortion/abortion-task-shifting/en)

According to all international agreements governments have the obligation to make sure people’s human rights are being protected.

 The prosecution of women is a severe form of intimidation by the Northern Irish Government that is harming women in Northern Ireland.

 

Women on Web