Abortion ship comes to Spain

Pro-vida, a Spanish pro-life group protested the arrival on October 16 of the "abortion ship" - Netherlands based vessel that provides abortion and contraception services to women in Europe and elsewhere whilst anchoring off coastal cities. The ship was met at Valencia's harbour by young people opposed to extending abortion in Spain. Trucks bearing supplies and materials for the party in celebration of the ship's visit, organized by Spain's pro-abortion groups, were detained by local police for failure to secure proper permits.

As of October 17, the Dutch non-profit "Women on Waves" plans to offer abortion in international waters off the Mediterranean port of Valencia, south of Barcelona. Rita Barbera, the mayor of Valencia, protested the arrival of the abortion ship saying that it is a "provocation that has sparked indignation." Pro-vida says it will protest the abortion ship's visit by staging pickets of other vessels around it.

Spain decriminalised abortion in 1985 but only for certain cases, but including any pregnancy that represents a potential threat to physical or mental health of the mother during any time in gestation. The current Socialist government of Spain, which has recently locked horns with the Catholic Church and the People's Party over education, says it will introduce a new law that will liberalize abortion still further and offer certain protections to those performing abortions.

Promoters of the abortion ship claim that this is a symbolic initiative that will allow abortions to Spanish women without violating the nation's laws. The Women on Waves ship visited Ireland in 2001, Poland in 2003, and Portugal in 2004, while causing controversy in each of these traditionally Catholic countries.

According to a Spanish pro-life website, the abortion ship is authorized by the government of the Netherlands to perform pharmacological abortion for fetueses of up to 7 weeks' gestation. Personnel on the ship utilize Mifepristone (also known as the abortion pill, RU 486, Mifegyn, Mifeprex), and Misoprostol (also known as Cytotec, Arthrotec, Oxaprost). According to the Women on Waves website, Spanish organizations in support of the visit favour removing abortion from the Spanish penal code, guaranteeing access to abortion until 24 weeks of pregnancy, guaranteeing sexual education, and guaranteeing free access to various types of contraceptives and full reimbursement for abortion “as is normal for other medical procedures.”

Info: ProVida