Pro-abortion lobby routed at Council of Europe in debate on conscientious objection London, : An attack on the right of conscientious objection to abortion was defeated this evening in the Council of Europe, reports UK-based pro-life group the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC).

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) voted on a report, the original text of which recommended a crack-down on medical personnel who refuse to be complicit in the provision of abortion and other unethical procedures.

Ronan Mullen, the Irish senator, and Luca Volonte of Italy, led the assembly in passing amendments which totally reversed the report, from a pro-abortion attack on conscientious objection to a defence of conscientious objection.

Christine McCafferty, the report's British author and her fellow pro-abortion assembly-members were therefore forced to vote against their own report.

Anthony Ozimic, communications manager of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), commented: "This evening witnessed an incredible victory for the right of staff in medical institutions to refuse to be complicit in the killing of unborn children and other unethical practices. "SPUC is immensely grateful to the large number of our supporters who lobbied the assembly in recent months, as well as to Senator Mullen, Mr Volonte and the assembly-members who supported them", concluded Mr Ozimic.

In the debate Senator Mullen pointed out that: * the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises the rights of unborn children; * there is no human right to abortion, whereas conscientious objection is a basic principle of human rights; * the report's original text was in reality a furtherance of pro-abortion agenda.