The Coalition of Defence for Life continued to advocate for an end to abortions in Jamaica on Tuesday.

The group's chairman, Dr Doreen Brady-West, spoke on the issue at the Corpus Christi Monastery, downtown Kingston, where, she said, the sanctity of life, the stability of family and support for women were some of the ideas which brought the coalition into existence.

According to her, abortion goes against all those ideals, making the intervention of the group necessary, through talks and a petition, which they presented to parliament, and which, she says, has accumulated over 87,000 signatures.

Speak out against injustice

"This is our alternative to protecting the life of the unborn," she said. "The Church must not be silent when injustice is being done," she declared, while noting the contribution of the Church to the abolition of slavery.

Meanwhile, at least one person thinks that even if a woman is raped or is a victim of incest she should still carry the child to term. "We cannot allow the Government to stand on a platform together and present those exceptions because they will use it against us. We have to make sure that we can stand on a platform and say that abortion is wrong in every situation," declared Rev Monsignor Kenneth Richards.

He says many women who go to Mary's Child, which takes in girls who have been victims of rape and incest, ranging from age 10 to 16, and want to have an abortion, end up trying their best to keep the child.

At the beginning they are told that they will be facilitated and assisted in bringing the child to term, then after that the child will we offered for adoption if they cannot keep it. However, Monsignor Richards explained that after the birth of the baby 100 per cent of the mothers refuse to part with them, and some find exceptional means of being with their child.

Too young

"Some even run away because of the thought that they are too young to keep the child, just to make sure they get to keep it," revealed Richards.

This, he says, proves that it is not good for persons to make decisions while they are in trauma, but do so after analysing the situation.

"What we need to do is support persons who are experiencing trauma, especially in that particular situation."

Commenting on the need for support, Father Richard Ho Lung says the facility that will open in September to house 200 mothers and 200 babies is not just for Roman Catholics, as all mothers in the Corporate Area can access the services.

kimesha.walters@gleanerjm.com