A DUBLIN-based pregnancy counselling centre has been secretly recorded advising women that abortion can turn them into child abusers and increase their risk of breast cancer.
The advice service has been heavily criticised following the undercover investigation by a reporter from the Irish edition of The London Times.
The centre, unregulated under Irish law, describes itself as a source of impartial advice for pregnant women who wish to travel abroad for an abortion, but according to the report the clinic has links to a Catholic anti-abortion group. It is also said to have clinics in at least three other locations around the Republic.
In the video the counsellor advises the reporter that abortion could increase her risk of breast cancer.
"What I can tell you is there are more breast cancers found in groups of women who have had abortions than any other group," the adviser says, despite no clear evidence existing to back up these claims.
She also warns the 26-year-old woman that an abortion can lead to a woman becoming a child abuser.
"They have been known to neglect their children," she says. "Or overprotect them. It's a psychological thing. Like a bereavement," she adds.
The adviser further paints a harrowing picture of what could happen to the woman's body should she go through with a termination, including the risk of her being left unable to have children in the future and the possibility of being left with a colostomy bag should the surgery go wrong.
The secret video recording also shows the counsellor calling into question the reporter's mental capacity and shows her pictures of aborted foetuses.
In response to the investigation pro-choice group Choice Ireland has called on the Irish government to regulate all crisis pregnancy counselling services.
Spokesperson Stephanie Lord said: "The clear aim of these organisations is to bully and manipulate vulnerable women into not seeking terminations.
"Telling women that they will have serious negative health consequences and become child abusers should they have a termination, as well as other lies, is a grossly unethical act. Women seeking abortion information during a time of crisis pregnancy are vulnerable enough without having to wade through misinformation too," she added.
Cora Sherlock of the Pro Life Campaign said that women facing an unexpected pregnancy "should at all times be given accurate and precise information" and called for a discussion on pregnancy counselling services.
She noted, however that Irish Family Planning Association were also videoed coaching women on how to illegally import abortion pills and said these revelations must also be addressed in any ministerial response.
