Unbroken Ireland have been trying to ensure that the voices of these brave women are heard.
They have been accused of trying to silence victims of rape.
An event hosted by Unbroken Ireland, a group which represents and advocates for those affected by pregnancy after rape, has had its booking cancelled after pro-abortion protesters threatened to demonstrate against it.
Key voices in debate
The Life Institute, which is co-hosting the event, hit out at the Gibson Hotel for giving in to intimidation. Spokeswoman Niamh Uí Bhriain said: "It is absolutely shameful that pro-abortion campaigners feel that they can shout everyone down, and that the Gibson Hotel have effectively let Repeal the 8th extremists silence women who have been raped.
"Whatever your views on abortion, I think most people would recognise that these women have an important part to play in the debate - and that their voices are rarely heard. It is frankly disgusting that abortion campaigners want to silence them."
"She is not a monster’s child, she is my child."
The event, which is now taking place at a different hotel, is part of the "Ending the Silence: women impacted by pregnancy from rape speak out" initiative organised by Unbroken Ireland, and will feature talks from two women who had children after being raped, and from Rebecca Kiessling, who was conceived in rape. Another talk is taking place in Cork.
One of the women, Shauna Prewitt, was in her senior year in college when she was raped. Nine months later, she gave birth to a baby girl. "We live in a culture where children who are conceived in rape are still spoken of in terms of an animal’s child, a monster’s child," she says on the event description. "She is not a monster’s child, she is my child. She’s wiped away my tears when she didn’t understand why I was crying and has just been with me through the darkness."
A better answer
Laura Ní Chonghaile of Unbroken Ireland says that the debate around abortion, and the Eighth Amendment, in Ireland, has almost never heard from those actually impacted by pregnancy from rape. "We hear all-too-often that rape victims need the 8th amendment repealed, but we hear nothing from women like us who have been directly impacted by pregnancy from rape, and who want a better answer than abortion," she said. "Abortion would have hurt me more, I needed to be safe, to be cared for, and my daughter deserved that too."
The talk will now take place at the Spencer Hotel, IFSC, on Thursday, 28th September, at 8pm. This is the second time in a week that a pro-life conference in Ireland has been cancelled by a hotel due to intimidation - The Ashling Hotel cancelled an event run by Human Life International after receiving a barrage of online abuse and threats to its staff.
The growing intimidation comes as news comes that a referendum on the Eighth Amendment is set to take place in May or June next year.
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