Man Heads to Irish Court to Block Girlfriend From Getting Abortion

The partner of a pregnant woman in Dublin has asked the high court to stop her from leaving Ireland because he says she is going to Britain for an abortion after receiving pressure from her family, The Guardian reported.

Seeking injunctions to stop his girlfriend from leaving the country until it can be determined whether or not she is acting out of her own free will, the man said his girlfriend "was happy to be pregnant" and had "never expressed any desire to have an abortion."

He said her family thought the woman would be "ruined" by having a child with a non-white man. Excited at the prospect of having a child, he said she registered with a maternity hospital in Ireland and had already purchased new baby clothes.

While the case was heard before the court without the woman present, she later attended court and will now be able to seek independent legal advice. Ms. Justice Mary Laffoy said she would not proceed in the case until the woman sought her own legal advice, and the case was adjourned until Friday.

The man claims he does not want to stop the woman from traveling if that is what she truly wants. The couple has known each other for a year, but her family never approved of the relationship, according to the man, due to his non-European origin.

A similar case in 1992 occurred when the Irish state tried to ban a 14-year-old rape victim from traveling to Britain for an abortion. The child's legal team challenged the ruling, laying the legal foundation for Irish woman to have the right to travel for abortions.