Miss D

On one of our walks yesterday we came across a pro-choice demonstration by the Socialist Workers Party. The Health Service Executive here in Ireland, a government agency, is preventing a 'Miss D' in their care from travelling abroad have an abortion. Miss D recently discovered that the foetus has anencephaly, meaning that part of the brain, scalp and skull is missing. She would either give birth to a stillborn child or a newborn that would live three days at most.

Miss D, who is a minor, is asking a judge to grant her permission to abort her pregnancy in the UK. Find out more here.

Many people in Ireland are split on the subject of abortion, mainly because of the Catholic beliefs of the majority of the population. However, surely even the most religious person can see that there can be no winners here. Miss D wanted to carry her child to term until she discovered its severe deformity that would not see it live for longer than three days. The best she can hope for is a speedy decision on her case; but a decision in her favour will not bring her much joy I suspect.