The State Claims Agency has received two legal complaints alleging that unborn babies were falsely diagnosed with life-limiting conditions, which prompted the decision to end the pregnancies.
The cases concern parents who claim they were given inaccurate prenatal test results indicating their unborn babies had a condition likely to result in death either in the womb or within 28 days of birth, which would allow for an abortion under Irish law.
The information only came to light in response to a parliamentary question submitted by Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín. In reply to Deputy Tóibín, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said: “The State Claims Agency has two ongoing claims from persons alleging that their unborn baby was wrongfully diagnosed with a condition sufficient to bring them within the scope of the Health Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018.”
Back in 2021, Deputy Tóibín called for a public inquiry after a couple were wrongly advised their unborn baby son Christopher had a life-limiting condition, leading to them making the decision to opt for an abortion. Christopher’s parents subsequently reached a settlement in the High Court action they took against Merrion Fetal Health and the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street.
Had the public inquiry that Deputy Tóibín called for at the time happened, the current situation where parents are continuing to receive inaccurate diagnoses regarding their babies and are opting for abortion might not be happening.
In a statement released by baby Christopher’s parents after their High Court settlement, they said that nothing will ever take away the “interminable sadness and grief” they live with every day.
The media’s refusal to properly pursue these kinds of stories and other stories about the horrors happening under the new abortion law is undoubtedly contributing to lots of issues being overlooked that could get resolved. This complete lack of curiosity in asking the hard questions is doing a tremendous disservice to women, families and most particularly to the unborn babies whose lives are being ended.
Perhaps Simon Harris who is so concerned for lives being lost in Ukraine could instigate a full enquiry into these deaths and maybe others that are happening and carry out an enquiry with all abortion facilities where there have been reports that babies are left to die without care when abortions go wrong.
Everybody knows these are wrong but very few are doing anything about it
Shame on the government.