PRESS RELEASE: Precious Life slam Michelle O’Neill’s ‘outrageous’ push for dangerous and deadly DIY home abortions in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s leading pro-life group Precious Life have slammed calls for the introduction of dangerous and deadly DIY home abortions from Sinn Féin Vice-president Michelle O'Neill in response to the Coronavirus lockdown.

Bernadette Smyth of Precious Life responded today, stating that: “In the midst of a national health crisis, when the NHS are stretched to breaking point doing their very best to preserve human life, this attack on the most vulnerable human lives of all is all the more outrageous.

"We find ourselves in an unprecedented time, as we unite under a shared understanding that all human life is precious, yet our Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill is manipulating this health crisis to once again promote abortion.

Ms O’Neill said yesterday (Monday 7th April) that she supports allowing DIY home abortions in Northern Ireland in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown. The Deputy First Minister, who welcomed the introduction of an extreme Westminster-imposed abortion regime, called for the introduction of home abortions in the form of ‘telemedicine services’ during the crisis. Ms O’Neill also urged Health Minister Robin Swann to accelerate the implementation of an extreme new abortion law in Northern Ireland in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.

"We're talking about responding to a woman's need at time of the Covid-19 crisis, women shouldn't be left out. This is about compassionate healthcare and making sure there's support for women who find themselves in vulnerable situations,” said the Deputy First Minister.

Bernadette Smyth slammed the comments, stating, “Michelle O’Neill talks about ‘compassionate healthcare’ but there is nothing compassionate about deliberately ending the life of a developing child in the womb. 

“Abortion is not essential healthcare; there are no health benefits to abortion it doesn’t treat or heal it destroys human life. Pregnancy is not a disease, and deliberately killing the unborn child by abortion is not healthcare. The purpose of real healthcare is to heal and preserve life, not to end life. There are other solutions that we can provide to women who find themselves in very scary and unprecedented times right now.”

Mrs Smyth added, “It is disgraceful that at a time when we are having to postpone life-saving and essential healthcare, such as cancer screenings and cancer treatments to preserve hospital equipment, beds and staff, our Deputy Health Minister is pushing for the introduction of abortion at all costs. Michelle O’Neill’s radical and out of touch abortion agenda not only includes the immediate imposition of a law which allows abortion up to the point of birth, but also the introduction of dangerous and deadly DIY home abortions.”

Mrs Smyth also highlighted the risks of the deadly abortion pills advocated for home use by Michelle O’Neill.

“Abortions kill unborn babies and often harm mothers. The abortion pill advocated for by Michelle O’Neill, to be taken at home by women, is noted to lead to a range of horrifying complications, from haemorrhaging to incomplete abortions, not to mention the psychological consequences such as depression and anxiety.”

Bernadette Smyth concluded, “In a time of a national health crisis, the emphasis should be on preserving lives. It is absolutely outrageous that Michelle O’Neill is so focused ¬on endangering women’s health and depriving unborn children of life at a time when we are uniting to protect life during this pandemic.”

ENDS