Rome, Italy, Apr 24, 2012 / 10:38 am
An Irish Catholic politician hit back at media claims that he was “discourteous” to a group of parents who aborted their unborn babies after they were diagnosed with serious fetal abnormalities.
“I deeply sympathize with the women in this case while remaining true to my own view that even severely disabled babies with a short life expectancy deserve to be allowed live their natural life,” Senator Ronan Mullen told CNA April 24.
The controversy emerged after four mothers who had opted to abort their disabled babies met with Irish lawmakers in Dublin on Wednesday April 18. At present, Irish parents who want to abort their baby in such circumstances have to travel abroad as the Ireland’s laws currently protect the life of the unborn.
Speaking subsequently on the Irish television station RTE's the Late Late Show, the women claimed that one politician they met had been “extremely unpleasant” to them and had asked what their “real agenda” was. They later identified the politician as Senator Mullen leading to, what he described, as “a furore on social media” along with an article in the Irish Times newspaper.