Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 25 October 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution

Termination Arising From Rape: Mr. Tom O'Malley, NUI Galway; Dublin Rape Crisis Centre; and Dr. Maeve Eogan, Rotunda Hospital

1:30 pm

Photo of Lisa ChambersLisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Were we to go down that route and choose the easiest option of requiring a Garda report rather than a formal complaint, would that be sufficient to balance those rights? Could there be a constitutional challenge on the grounds that a termination would be too easily accessed if just a simple report or something of that nature were required? I would be interested in hearing Mr. O'Malley's thoughts on this matter. Any suggestion that a victim should be required to present before anyone or any organisation, for example, a member of An Garda Síochána, who would be professional in his or her report, and make a case in order to be believed about being raped and traumatised raises grave concerns.

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