Women's Views on News |
| Northern Ireland: survey shows support for abortion Posted: 19 Oct 2016 04:11 PM PDT
A survey carried out recently on behalf of Amnesty International has shown that the majority of people in Northern Ireland – 58 per cent – do not think that abortion should be a crime at all. There is even more widespread support for decriminalising abortion for women who are pregnant as a result of rape or incest, or if the foetus has no chance of survival; 69.5 per cent of people polled said they would like to see women stop being jailed for having an abortion in these circumstances. The poll, conducted by independent research company Millward Brown Ulster, collected the views of 1,000 people throughout Northern Ireland via face-to-face interviews with people living in a mix of urban and rural areas, and representing a range of religious and political views. Currently, even when a woman is pregnant as a result of rape, or incest, or when the foetus has no medical chance of surviving, she faces life imprisonment in Northern Ireland, thanks to a law drawn up in 1861 and not updated since. Medical professionals who assist women with abortions also face life imprisonment. Abortions are only permitted in the region's health service if the life of a mother is directly under threat or in cases in which there would be lasting long-term negative effects on her health by continuing with the pregnancy. The law has created a system where women who can afford to travel to the mainland UK – often on their own – for an abortion, facing shame, stigma and discrimination in their families, workplaces and communities, while women unable to travel risk the danger of taking abortion pills without medical support in Northern Ireland – and a lifetime in prison, if they are found out. The survey found that 72 per cent want abortion to be decriminalised in cases of sex crimes such as rape or incest and 69 per cent are for abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality – where medical professionals have deemed there no chance of the foetus surviving. And 58 per cent of people asked think women who have abortions should not be punished as criminals, and 59 per cent of people believe that medical staff should not be imprisoned for assisting women with abortion A minority of people do support the existing ban. Only 16 per cent of people believe the law should not change, and that women should face prison for having an abortion when they when they are pregnant as a result of rape or incest, or the foetus has no chance of survival And 22 per cent believe women should face criminal punishment for terminating any kind of pregnancy. Two years ago, the polling company Millward Brown put the same questions to a similar sample of people. In 2014, 69 per cent of people in Northern Ireland supported access to abortion in cases of rape or incest, a figure which now sits at 72 per cent. And 60 per cent of respondents supported access to abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality – this has grown to 67 per cent. A High Court ruling said that the ban is breaching the rights of women in the cases of fatal foetal abnormality and where the pregnancy is a result of sex crimes. Such a ruling should bring a change in the law. Amnesty International is calling for an outright end to the ban on abortion in Northern Ireland, and calling on Northern Ireland's leaders to bring the law into the 21st century, and stop denying women their rights. To sign Amnesty's petition, click here.  |
| An apology – after a seven-year battle Posted: 19 Oct 2016 03:29 PM PDT
Following the threat of legal action by the family, the Royal Military Police (RMP) has formally apologised to the family of Corporal Anne-Marie Ellement for failing to properly investigate the allegation of rape she made two years before taking her own life, Liberty reported today. In a statement released on 19 October 2016, the RMP – the Army's internal police force – admitted that "mistakes were made" in the investigation and that "Anne-Marie deserved better". Anne-Marie was an RMP police officer. In 2009, while serving in Germany, she alleged that she had been raped by two colleagues. Despite the fact that all the people involved were RMP staff, her allegation was investigated by the RMP themselves. And an Army prosecutor decided no charges would be brought – a decision that devastated Anne-Marie. Two years later, after suffering bullying – and what the Coroner at her inquest called "work related despair" – she took her own life. Only when threatened by Liberty with legal action under the Human Rights Act – and after a lengthy struggle by Anne-Marie's family – did the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the RMP agree to refer the case for a fresh, independent rape investigation. This resulted in the prosecution and acquittal of two former soldiers earlier this year. Both the Director of Service Prosecutions and the judge at the trial said it had been right to bring the case – and that charges should have been brought when Anne-Marie was alive. Anne-Marie took her own life in her Wiltshire barracks in October 2011. In March 2014, the Coroner in the second inquest into her death – again made possible only by the family using the Human Rights Act – ruled the mental effects of the alleged rape, workplace bullying and "work-related despair" all contributed to her suicide. Anne-Marie's family, represented by Liberty, simultaneously made several attempts to convince the MoD to facilitate a truly independent investigation into her rape allegations. This was repeatedly declined. After several internal reviews, the MoD claimed the original investigation conformed to "service standards". Only in 2013, after the family threatened legal action under Article 3 of the Human Rights Act – the right not to suffer inhuman or degrading treatment – did the MoD and the RMP finally agree. This was carried out by the RAF Police and Bedfordshire Police, overseen by the Crown Prosecution Service. In October 2015 – four years after Anne-Marie's death – two soldiers were charged with her rape. Both men were acquitted in April 2016. The statement the RMP released said: "It is now clear that mistakes were made in the original investigation, including in relation to decision making. As a result, aspects of the original investigation were unsatisfactory. […]. "Anne-Marie deserved better and for that the Royal Military Police apologises unreservedly to her family for those failings. "In apologising to her family, the Royal Military Police and the wider Army pay tribute to them for the courage and determination that they have shown on behalf of Anne-Marie." Sharon Hardy, one of Anne-Marie's sisters, said: "Both the coroner at Anne-Marie's inquest and the judge at her trial made strong criticisms of the conduct of the Royal Military Police men and women involved. "I know that the RMP failed my sister and am glad that has finally been admitted. I acknowledge the apology offered today with a heavy heart – but it remains to be seen if they have in fact learnt any lessons." And her sister Khristina Swain said: "I feel this apology has come a little late for our family and I'm disappointed we have had to ask for it – but we welcome it and are happy that they have realised they failed to properly protect my sister. "The RMP let Anne-Marie down 100 per cent – please give her one last bit of respect and don't fail others. "Don't let victims or families go through what our family went through. Not just the pain and grief – but having to fight just to get to the truth." Alexandra Barritt, Anne-Marie's mother, said: "Anne-Marie was my beloved youngest daughter. No words can express how much I miss her. I will always be incredibly proud of all that she achieved in her life. "I hope that the changes the Army have promised us will come about and be a lasting legacy for her." Emma Norton, Liberty's Legal Director and the solicitor for Anne-Marie's family, said: "It is stories like Anne-Marie’s that show exactly how important the Human Rights Act is for our soldiers and their families – and exactly why the Government and Ministry of Defence are so opposed to it. "It was only the Human Rights Act that let Anne-Marie’s sisters secure a fresh inquest, exposing the bullying she had suffered and leading to important reforms for crime victims in our Armed Forces. "It was only the Act that let them secure a fresh, independent rape investigation. "Without it, we wouldn’t be here today – and the MoD would have been able to keep the awful truth of what happened to Anne-Marie firmly behind closed doors." The RMP’s statement also said: "It is vital that we learn the lessons of these events. The Royal Military Police has done so." However, in 2016 it remains lawful for: A Commanding Officer in the Armed Forces to choose to investigate an allegation of sexual assault him or herself. There is no legal requirement – as there is for most other criminal offences – to refer the matter to the police; and for Military police to investigate serious criminal offences including rape, sexual assault and other violent crime. Liberty is campaigning for the government to amend the law and end these practices and ensure independence and fairness for our troops is part of the military justice system.  |
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