Abortion campaigners 'hand themselves in' to police over N Ireland prosecution

A group of pro-choice supporters have offered themselves up for arrest, as a protest against the prosecution of a woman in Northern Ireland.

The 21-year-old from Belfast was given a suspended sentence after buying drugs on the internet to start a miscarriage.

She had been unable to raise the money to travel to England for an abortion.

A group of about 20 gathered outside a central London police station on Saturday lunchtime, in "solidarity" with the woman, who has not been named.

Alisa Berry Ryan from Abortion Rights said similar demonstrations were taking place around the country in places like Cardiff, Glasgow and Liverpool. Groups are also protesting in Belfast.

"This is a symbolic gesture," she explained. "We've got a whole group of women who are disclosing that they have had an abortion, including myself.

"If you're going to arrest one of us, arrest us all."

Rashida Islam, also of Abortion Rights, said: "I'm here today because it's 2016, we're living in the UK and we're still punishing women for exercising bodily autonomy."

Speaking earlier in the week, Bernadette Smyth, director of anti-abortion group Precious Life, said she was shocked that the penalty for a "serious crime" was so "manifestly lenient".

Also at the demonstration was Dr Pam Lowe, an expert in sociology and reproductive health from Aston University.

"A lot of people are not aware that abortion is still a crime [in the UK] unless you comply with the conditions of the 1967 Abortion Act," she told Newsbeat.

"Any woman, whether she's in England or Northern Ireland, if you buy pills over the internet [to induce a miscarriage] you're subject to criminal prosecution."

The Abortion Act 1967 made amendments to existing laws prohibiting abortion.

It states that a offence hasn't occurred if the pregnancy is less than 24 weeks along and two doctors agree there is risk to the pregnant woman's health, or there is substantial risk to the unborn child.

"We don't want women to necessarily medicate themselves," said Dr Lowe. "Ideally everybody would see a healthcare professional.

"That's not the same as saying it should be a criminal offence."

Following the demonstration outside the West End Police Station, the group moved to a larger protest outside the Polish embassy.

Groups have gathered there to oppose a proposal to outlaw abortion entirely in Poland.

Thousands of people have been demonstrating in Warsaw, many bringing coat hangers as a symbol of the backstreet abortions they say will happen if the bill is passed.

Women who have abortions and doctors who perform them could potentially be sentenced to up to five years in prison.

Poland already has some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. It is currently only allowed in cases of rape or incest, when a mother's health is endangered or the foetus has medical abortions.

"I'm incredibly disturbed with what's happening at the moment in terms of reproductive justice," said Alisa.

"There have been real waves of anti-women policy."

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