A 12-year-old victim of sexual assault in Northern Ireland had to travel to England under police escort for an abortion, MPs have been told. The child travelled to England because she could not be treated in Northern Ireland due to strict laws prohibiting the procedure in most circumstances. Abortion is a polarising debate in Northern Ireland. For years, significant numbers of women from Northern Ireland have travelled to Great Britain for terminations. She told MPs: "We saw many young women we could not help, from the Roma or Travelling community, victims of domestic violence.

Source: Irish Examiner January 25, 2019 16:52 UTC