The police raid in an illegal ?hospital? in Vacoas brings up the debate over abortion again. Life defenders and those qualified as ?pro-choice? have confronted each other through press articles and radio debates. Meanwhile, politicians on both sides are giving their opinion but those who have expressed themselves in favour of abortion (in some cases the great majority) make it clear that it is only their personal opinion. This is just a sign that all parties are reluctant to face the problem when they are in power. Yet the anti-abortion law dates from 1838, which would justify its revision.

Ten days ago, the police decided to raid what they suspected to be a clandestine clinic where illegal abortions were being carried out. They had been gathering information on the network for about a month. As soon as they got into the seedy ?hospital?, they realised their information must have been right: they found three drowsy women who had just had abortions. Dr Shrinivassa Curpen, 67 years old, an anaesthetist employed on contract at Victoria Hospital was found on the premises as well as Roger Runganaiken, an 82 year-old retired nurse, and two women from Mesnil who were working there. They were all arrested. The three patients declared to the police they had paid Rs 3,600 for their alleged abortions.

<B>End hypocrisy for the sake of the poor</B>

Beyond the police case, this problem raises fundamental questions about our society. Although abortion is illegal, the Mauritius Family Planning Association revealed that 20,000 abortions are done every year. Hence, some say it is high time to end this hypocrisy and legalise abortion, the more so as the ones who really suffer from the law are the most vulnerable. ?We know perfectly well that wealthy women will go abroad or to private hospitals to get aborted. In other words, clandestine abortion is a problem affecting the poor,? said MP Nita Deerpalsingh in an interview to l?express.

Although she says she is in favour of the ?autonomy of women?, she does not think that the government can come forward with a law to legalise abortion ? even in certain specific cases. Even if the whole government agreed on the issue (which is obviously not the case), ?MPs can?t vote an act of which the population does not approve. We can?t impose things.?

The stand of the minister of Women, Indira Seebun, could give some hope that the act would be modernised ? ?I am in favour of abortion in some specific cases? ? but she has made it clear that it is her ?personal opinion?.

Although he agrees that abortion should be legal in some cases, the former chief medical officer at the ministry of Health, Shyam Sungkur, points out that ?legalisation will unfortunately not put an end to clandestine abortions?. Facts indeed show that many women do not use contraception despite the facilities provided by health centres throughout the island. So maybe we should start with an education campaign?