Italian doctors to go ahead with abortions

Press, 14 August 1976, Page 6

Italian doctors to go ahead with abortions

NZPA-Reuter Milan Italian doctors, facing strong \ atican opposition, are going ahead with plans to perform the first abortions on women possibly affected by a poison gas escape near Sexeso. northern Italy, last month.

Abortions are otherwise illegal in Roman Catholic Italy and the Vatican newspaper, “Osservatore Romano,” has condemned the doctors’ plans as an inhuman sacrifice “by those who would believe in the legitimacy of eugenic abortion.” Professor Candiani of the Mangiagelli Clinic in Milan said two or three women aged between 20 and 39 from the stricken town of Seveso, which is north of Milan, would be operated on this morning (New Zealand time). Their psychological reaction would be studied before any further abortions were performed.

Experts have said that unborn children could be deformed by the dioxin poison released in an explosion at the Swiss-owned Icmesa plant nearly five weeks ago. More than 110 women in the area are in the most critical first three months of pregnancy. The Italian Justice Minister (Mr Francesco Bonifacio) has allowed the abortions, c ing a Constitutional Court ruling last year that a woman could have the operation if her mfental or physical health was in danger. But as there is no specific legislation on the question, observers said a magistrate could in theory bring charges

against a woman who had an abortion. Seven women are known to have entered the Mangiagelli Clinic seeking abortions. One baby born a month premature, has died, and people in the area are calling it the first victim of the Seveso disaster. Hospital authorities have ordered a post-mortem examination, but deny a link with the dioxin explosion. More than 700 people have been evacuated from their homes in the Seveso area since the explosion at the Icmesa factory’ released two kilograms of dioxin into the air.