Gardaí investigate back-street abortions claim

Gardaí in Dublin are investigating two alleged back-street abortions, it emerged today.

Both are believed to have been carried out within two days of each other over the last two months.

The first case came to light when a Filipino woman developed serious medical complications and was taken to hospital, where the foetus was recovered.

The second is understood to have been carried out on a Romanian woman in her 20s.

A Moldovan woman suspected of carrying out at least one of the abortions has reportedly been identified but has since fled the country having been unable to renew her visa.

She is alleged to have advertised her services on a card in a shop window and charged the Romanian woman €500 for the procedure.

Old-fashioned equipment including a suction pump and anaesthetic chemicals is understood to have been recovered from a flat in Dublin 7.

A Garda spokesman confirmed that investigations into both incidents were continuing.