Let’s face our responsibilities

Those who attempt to criminalise or stigmatise women who’ve had abortions are wrong, writes Jonathan O’Brien

THE death of Savita Halappanavar was a tragedy felt by people the world over and I am no exception. I took care to open my remarks to the Dáil on Wednesday with an expression of sympathy to her husband and family and my heart goes out to them.

I knew when I stood up to speak in the debate on Sinn Féin’s motion, calling for the Government to legislate for the X case and to publish the report of the expert group on abortion, that there would be people listening who would think and say that it was easy for me to stand there and declare that I’m against abortion since I’ll never find myself with a crisis pregnancy. They are correct.