Pro-Life lobby group Doctors for Life called on Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer to clear his position on abortions babies with Down Syndrome.
In a letter shared with the media on Sunday morning, the advocacy group thanked the MEP for his work in supporting those with Down Syndrome, but said highlighted his pro-choice stance and noting that babies with this condition were three to five times more likely to be aborted.
"In numerous European countries, 90 to 100% of unborn children diagnosed with Down Syndrome are aborted. This means that overall, Europe has, so far, reduced the number of children born with DS by more than 50%. If this were due to the eradication of the condition itself through medical advances, that would be one thing. However, this is due to the eradication of the children themselves who are deemed undesirable due to their condition. This has disturbing, eugenic overtones reminiscent of some of the worst chapters in human history," they said.
"Any notions that abortion is in any way beneficial to children with DS, sparing them a miserable life, are, at best, misguided, and at worst, dishonest, being completely unsupported by the evidence. Today, the life expectancy of people with DS is around 60 years. The robust research by Stotko et al. concluded that nearly 99% of children with Down syndrome are happy with their lives (when compared to around 70-80% of the general population), 97% liked who they are, and 96% liked how they look. Nearly 99% of people with DS expressed love for their families, and 97% liked their brothers and sisters."
Morevoer “more than 96% of brothers/sisters indicated that they had affection toward their sibling with Down; and 94% of older siblings expressed feelings of pride. A touching finding of the research was that 88% of siblings felt that they were better people because of their brother or sister with DS,” the group said.
The group called on Engerer, who they noted voted in favour of abortion becoming part of the EU's charter of Fundamental Rights “to clarify your position vis a vis the widespread abortion of children with Down Syndrome.”
In a response issued through the Labour Party, Engerer criticised the group – which he did not refer to as pro-life, but rather as anti-choice – for mounting a scaremongering campaign trying to capitalise on people’s emotions.
“The anti-choice doctors are on a scaremongering campaign intended solely to rouse emotions by deceit,” Engerer said.
“Our fight for the rights of all persons with disabilities will remain at the top of our priorities and the results achieved also in my capacity as S&D negotiator for the European Disability Card speak for themselves,” he continued.
“When it comes to bodily autonomy and sexual health and reproductive rights of all women, including women with disabilities, I urge the anti-choice doctors to start basing their arguments on science and evidence, as per all the statements made by the World Health Organisation on this matter,” he concluded.