Amnesty hopes schools don’t disband support groups

Amnesty International has said it hopes Catholic schools across Ireland will not disband their support groups due to the organisation's new stance on abortion.

One school in the diocese of Down and Connor has already been advised to disband its Amnesty branch because the organisation has dropped its neutral stance on abortion.

The human rights group now supports abortion in cases of rape and incest, saying its stance has changed in light of the use of rape during conflicts like that in Darfur.

The bishop of Down and Connor says the advice given the school in his diocese applies to all Catholic schools.