Politician says she aborted baby so bombing mission could proceed

(LifeSiteNews) — Former Sinn Féin MEP Martina Anderson confessed that she had an abortion in order not to jeopardize an Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombing mission.

Ahead of the launch of her autobiography, Choosing the Struggle, Anderson told RTE One’s Miriam that she chose the “struggle” over the life of her unborn baby. She discovered that she was pregnant weeks into the planning of a bombing.

“Women like me who had an unplanned pregnancy, because of the circumstances I found myself in, I put the struggle first, I had an abortion, the hardest and most painful decision of my life,” said the Derry native.

She “was not for letting my comrades down,” Joe reported. “I went away in silence and returned in silence and lived in silence for over 40 years.”

Anderson hopes that the confession of her abortion will help to stop the “shaming” of women like her.

“I do believe in the telling of the story that it will make some small contribution to stopping the moral and social shaming of women like me. It would’ve been easier to stay silent and people will judge me,” she told RTE One.

“I respect people’s faith position on this, I’m not looking to convert anyone, or for forgiveness or approval.”

Anderson was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted in 1986 of conspiring to cause explosions. She was released 13 years later as part of the conditions of the Good Friday Agreement, and thereafter became involved in politics. 

She also told how her womb was removed while she was in prison, during an operation to treat polyps, leaving her unable to have children.

Anderson was slammed on social media for the disclosure that she had her unborn baby killed so that she could kill others.