Women’s Affairs and Childcare Development Minister Tissa Karalliyadda today vowed to go ahead with his move to legalise abortions in cases of rape of underage girls, incest and defective foetuses.

Minister Karalliyadda told the Daily Mirror that a committee comprising the representatives of the Health Ministry, the Justice Ministry and his Ministry had been appointed to study this matter and furnish a report.

“The committee is studying this issue at the moment. I asked them to submit the report to me. Then, it will be presented to the Cabinet for approval,” he said.

He said that certain sections of the media had projected this as an attempt to legalise abortions totally.

“Abortions will be legalised only in three special cases under the proposed law.  Also, that will be allowed only after recommendations by medical experts and the judiciary. If an underage girl gets pregnant being raped, she will face a lot of social problems. Once she delivers the child, she will be socially helpless.  Such girls are eventually compelled into the sex trade as there is no other choice left for them to make a living,” the Minister said. 

Mr. Karalliyadda said that abortions had been legalised in 57 countries in cases of rape and incest.

“There are numerous other countries where abortions have been legalised on fetuses less than three months old. I am not introducing anything totally new to the world. This is what is practiced in the world,” he said. (Kelum Bandara)