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
Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source
I thank Mr. O'Malley. With the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act and the eighth amendment in place, a woman who has been raped and who takes the abortion pill at home could theoretically be prosecuted and jailed for up to 14 years. That is an horrendous situation. Many citizens would agree that no one whose rights have been stripped from her should find herself in a courtroom setting being criminalised and possibly sentenced to a prison term. It is remarkable that this is our current situation. That is no more than a statement, though. I do not expect a response.
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