Conspiracy of silence.

Ireland's prohibition of abortion has been fiercely enforced by conservative anti-abortion activists in organizations such as the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child. The Society succeeded in getting the Irish High Court to rule in 1987 that any discussion of abortion or referral to England for legal abortion services on the part of women's health and student groups constituted a violation of the constitutionally protected right to life of the fetus. Supporters of abortion rights were forced further underground and isolated from their constituency--poor women without information or funds. This censorship has not decreased the number of Irish women who travel to England for legal abortion; an average of 400 women/year give Irish addresses at UK clinics and another 4000 probably give a false UK address. Thus, England has been placed in the position of assuming responsibility for what is an Irish social problem. However, the case of a 14-year-old girl who sought to travel to England to abort a pregnancy resulting from rape has forced the Irish Government to confront its hypocrisy. Initially, it was ruled that the schoolgirl must continue the pregnancy, despite her threats of suicide. Massive public outcry resulted in a reversal of this decision, and the European Court of Human Rights found Ireland's abortion information ban in contravention of human rights. The ban has since been reversed through public referendum, and there are some indications that abortions to save the life or health of the mother may be legalized.