Readers Blog: Don’t judge women pregnant through rape

The Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI), responding to the Government’s announcement of a referendum to be held on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, call on participants in the public debate to be respectful and informed by the best available facts and compassionate understanding when discussing the realities facing girls and women in Ireland pregnant following rape.

Rape survivors have featured disproportionately in public debates on abortion but we have limited facts about the approximately 5% of all female rape victims who become pregnant.

For some years RCNI have released data on the pregnancy outcomes for rape survivors attending rape crisis centres.