Abortion ship denied entry to Poland

Reuters (UK) ^ | June 21, 2003 | Reuters

[Mister Magoo]

Abortion ship denied entry to Poland

WLADYSLAWOWO, Poland (Reuters) - The crew of a Dutch floating abortion clinic have accused Poland of denying their ship entry into a port in the Roman Catholic country which has strict laws on terminating pregnancy. The ship, which offers abortions in international waters to women in countries where the procedure is more restricted than in the Netherlands, was forced to anchor offshore after being turned away from Wladyslawowo on Friday.

Women on Waves head Rebecca Gomperts and local abortion-rights activists said they were told the port was closed due to bad weather.

But while the ship was waiting offshore at least one other ship sailed out, they said.

"The law is being broken, this Dutch ship cannot enter the port, although it has the right to -- this shows that Polish democracy is still very immature," Polish activist Wanda Nowicka told a news conference in Wladyslawowo on Saturday.

Port officials were not immediately available to comment.

Outside the news conference about 50 protesters pelted participants with eggs as they entered.

"We will not allow the murder of unborn children in Poland," news agency PAP quoted right-wing MP Robert Strak as saying.

"We will follow this ship and block it. No one should have any illusions that this ship will enter."

Poland has one of the most strict abortion laws in Europe and Polish Pope John Paul II, head of the world's billion Catholics and a staunch opponent of abortion, is widely regarded as the country's greatest moral authority.

Poland's abortion laws have changed several times since the fall of communism in 1989, reflecting power shifts between right-wing governments and the post-communist left, which has liberalised abortion law.

Currently abortion is allowed only if pregnancy is a threat to a woman's health, if the foetus is damaged or after rape. Doctors face up to three years in jail for illegal abortions.

Before Poland's referendum on European Union membership two weeks ago the left-wing government avoided the issue in what was widely seen as a deal to ensure church support for a yes vote.

But since the successful poll the issue has re-emerged, with a group of MPs from the ruling party calling for liberalisation.

Women on Waves hit a raw nerve in Ireland in 2001 when its abortion ship docked in the centre of Dublin, but Gomperts said the reaction was very different, with Irish police and port officials providing more support than their Polish counterparts.

[Arkinsaw]

I'm sure this is some violation of EU rules. Poland should enjoy their own sovereignty while they can. They will be unable to make such moral decisions on their own without getting orders from Brussels first.

[JonathansMommie]

ping

[Parley Baer]

WOW!!! Never heard of an "abortion ship". Do they throw the fetuses overboard to feed the eviromentally friendly fishes????

[CounterCounterCulture]

Abortion ships, slave ships, pirate ships...evil is evil.

Hooray for Poland!

[taxcontrol]

I like Poland. Perhaps we can offer them statehood if they will leave the EU?

[Batrachian]

Why hasn't anyone sunk this thing yet?

[lilylangtree]

Big Salute to Poland for its stance!!!!

[TheCrusader]

"Why hasn't anyone sunk this thing yet?"

Only the good die young.

[Hacksaw]

Good for the Poles. That ship full of ghouls should go to California.

[Psycho_Bunny]

If this were an Iranian flagged ship carrying a nuclear weapon, or a floating Chinese bio-weapons research facility, Poland could deny entry based on the threat of harm to it's citizens.

But there's a controversy because Poland won't allow a ship to dock because the mission statement of the ship is to kill babies?

If Poland has a sub, I wouldn't care if they welcomed that ship into their waters and then torpedoed the %#$!ing thing.

[rickmichaels]

It's good to see that the socialist scumbags haven't corrupted ALL of Europe.

[goodseedhomeschool]

Wishing big big wave would come sink the boat.

[witnesstothefall]

Ship of Death bump

[Loyalist]

The next time this ship comes to Poland, it will likely have a whole EU naval battle group as an escort. Then things are going to get quite interesting indeed.

[HairOfTheDog]

The ship, which offers abortions in international waters to women in countries where the procedure is more restricted than in the Netherlands

Wow... an abortion Special Forces unit. Unbelievable.

"Women on Waves" head Rebecca Gomperts... said...

You just can't make this stuff up.

[Moose4]

The more I hear about Poland these days, the more I like them.

}:-)4

[Loyalist]

This outfit might be based in the Netherlands, but is the ship actually registered there, or anywhere else for that matter?

A ship without registry on the high seas has virtually no rights in international law, and could be boarded, seized, or even sunk, with practical impunity.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

And what would they say if the ship sank? It would be it's choice if it didn't float anymore.

[I_love_weather]

Abortion ship denied entry to Poland

WLADYSLAWOWO, Poland (Reuters) - The crew of a Dutch floating abortion clinic have accused Poland of denying their ship entry into a port in the Roman Catholic country which has strict laws on terminating pregnancy. The ship, which offers abortions in international waters to women in countries where the procedure is more restricted than in the Netherlands, was forced to anchor offshore after being turned away from Wladyslawowo on Friday.

OR AS IT SHOULD READ

Baby Killing ship denied entry to Poland

WLADYSLAWOWO, Poland (Reuters) - The crew of a Dutch floating baby killing clinic have accused Poland of denying their ship entry into a port in the Roman Catholic country which has strict laws on killing babies. The ship, which offers to kill babies in international waters to women in countries where the killing of babies is more restricted than in the Netherlands, was forced to anchor offshore after being turned away from Wladyslawowo on Friday.