American authorities have received a request from the Irish government to trace anti-abortion robocalls in the wake of the Savita Halappanavar case and the government’s move to bring forward new abortion legislation, The Washington Post has reported.
The calls have sparked outrage in Ireland where they are illegal and punishable by fines of up to $330,000 per offense.
One source told the paper that the Irish robocalls have been traced to an employee of Personhood USA, an activist group in Arvada, Colo., a Denver suburb.
However Personhood USA’s president, Keith Mason said: “I have no knowledge of anyone affiliated with the group having any role in the robocalls. It certainly hasn’t come from us. We’re just asking our volunteers to pray.”
But the Post reports that regulators have “evidence tying someone claiming to be a Personhood USA employee to the robocalls, which were arranged through a web site that offers calling services in many countries.”
Irish regulators say they have information that directly links the calls to websites for Personhood USA and Personhood Colorado, a related group. If so it will be one of the first direct link between anti-abortion groups in the U.S. and Ireland, which have been long suspected.
Hundreds of thousands of households all across Ireland received the unsolicited and automated calls after Savita’s death in a Galway hospital when doctors allegedly refused her an abortion and after the government came under pressure to pass new abortion laws.
An Irish professor who is quoted in the anonymous call has confirmed he has no knowledge of the robocalls and had not given permission for his quote to be used.
The Washington Post reports that Ireland’s Data Protection Authority formally requested help from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which has made curbing robocalls a priority under Chairman Jon Leibowitz.
The report says that the calls, made from a Dublin number, purport to quote Eamon O’Dwyer, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Galway University.
The automated caller claims that Irish doctors do not put the life of a mother at risk, even if it means the unborn child’s death.
Prof O’Dwyer told the Irish Times recently that the calls included a quote from a short speech he made at a conference some time ago but he wished to dissociate himself from the calls. He also said he was not aware his comment was going to be used in a telephone messaging campaign.
Such calls are commonplace in America where robocalls are protected by the First Amendment.
Record complaints have been made to the Irish authorities promoting the decision to ask their American counterparts for help as officials believe the calls are organized by members of a U.S.-based anti-abortion group seeking to export American-style political tactics.
The calls, made in November, defended Ireland’s strict ban on abortion.
Gary T. Davis, deputy data protection commissioner in Ireland, said: “Calling people in this way is counterproductive, but it’s also contrary to the law. If they were pro-abortion calls, we’d be treating them the same way.”
The government has confirmed that the Irish Data Protection Authority formally requested help from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
But FTC spokesman Peter Kaplan said the agency could not confirm the existence of the Irish request. He added: “It is unlikely the commission would assist in a matter that involves non-commercial calls, which are outside the FTC’s jurisdiction.”
The Personhood group has led efforts to declare every fetus a ‘person’ from the moment of conception.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.eiriamach | Dec 31, 2012, 07:31 AM EST
Allan500, incidents of arson, bombings, acid attacks, etc. at women's health clinics that provide abortions or referrals for abortion are far too numerous to list. I'll limit the list to murders of abortion providers; all of this info is available on the Internet: 3.1993~ first murder of an abortion provider--Dr David Gunn shot by Michael Griffin in Florida. 8.1993~ Dr George Tiller wounded by gunshot by Rachelle Shannon. Shannon is in prison for 11 years for this attack, as well as six arsons and two butryic acid attacks. 7.1994~ Dr John Bayard Britton and James Barrett fatally shot in font of their clinic in Florida, one woman injured, by anti-abortion fanatic Paul Hill. 12.1994~ Shannon Lowney and Leanne Nichols were shot and kills at clinics in Brookline, Mass, five others injured. Anti-abortion fanatic John Salvi, the shooter, committed suicide in prison in 1996. 1994-95~ In Canada, abortion providers were shot and killed or injured in Manitoba, BC, Vancouver, and Ontario. 10.1997~ Abortion provider physician was wounded by gunshot at his home in Rochester, NY. 1.1998~ Bombing at a clinic in Birmingham, Alabama seriously injured a nurse and killed an officer. The bomber is serving life sentence in prison for two clinic bombings and bombing of a gay bar. 10.1998~ Dr Barnett Slepian was killed by gunshot in Amherst, NY. 5.2009~ Dr. George Tiller was killed by gunman Scott Roeder, anti-abortion fanatic, in his Lutheran church in Wichita, Kansas. That's "right to life" at work.
allan500 | Dec 26, 2012, 08:31 AM EST
Irish Central is to be commended for their us of the phrase pro-life rather than anti-abortion. EIRIAMACH's crazy assertion that pro-life groups are engaged in terroristic acts in the USA is demonstrably in error. Why do uninformed bigots feel the world is at a loss unless they open there ignorant mouths?
eiriamach | Dec 25, 2012, 02:00 PM EST
American anti-choice activists have engaged in harassment and violence outside women's health clinics and stalking of clinic workers in the USA. Gynecologists have been assassinated in the name of "right to life." Don't under-estimate the fanaticism of these groups. American laws mean nothing to them; the moral law means nothing to them; human rights are meaningless to them. Why would they respect Irish law? They're also very well funded by the same folks who brought us Rick Santorum and Paul Ryan, and their supporters have much to gain by restricting women's human rights.
mamaginnty | Dec 24, 2012, 04:56 PM EST
Hundreds of thousands.....strange, I talked to many people on FB. and Twitter and nobody got one of those Robocalls.
stanJames | Dec 24, 2012, 01:01 AM EST
Message to mothers - go die. message from Pope - no birth control. Message to our gay friends from pope - gay marriage threatens justice and PEACE................is the pope who hid the endless molestations of childrens by his sex starved priests now promising a new "holy" inquisition ?..........The same pope who in 2009 UNexcommunicated a holocaust denier / revisionist, bishop Williamson. The same church who Sainted Pacelli who in 1938 concluded a concodant with the nazis that legitimized the nazi govt to german catholics...................Those who scream the most about abortion usually in one way or another are those who have commmitted the most grevious crimes against humanity......It also included the anti abortion evangelicals who made America the second to last nation to end slavery and the only one to need a war to do so. And then created segregation and still Obama is their nightmare come true.............Besides protecting mothers we need an abortion all right - of the power of the right wing extremist churches. Cath and evangelical.
eiriamach | Dec 23, 2012, 04:09 PM EST
"officials believe the calls are organized by members of a U.S.-based anti-abortion group seeking to export American- style political tactics." I hope everyone in Ireland knows that "American-style political tactics" means Lies, with a capital "L." There's no law against lying about medical treatments or anything else, except for libel, fraud, and perjury in a court of law. They can say anything, and they certainly do lie. My sympathy to the Irish recipients. I hope the government succeeds in collecting the $330,000 fine. "Per offense"? times hundreds of thousands of calls? That's lotsa money. Good luck!
Pittsburghkid | Dec 23, 2012, 03:14 PM EST
Abortion is murder to a culture. America has had abortion since the 70's. Now Americans are being invaded by boarding countries. These Foriegn want to change our culture. Instead of a one language country, American is becoming two language country. Muslims want Shiaria Law Installed, which conflicts with the constitution. When birth rates lower, then new cultures will enter your country, and change it.
Silling | Dec 23, 2012, 01:04 PM EST
Survival of the foetus.
Smyrnian | Dec 23, 2012, 10:47 AM EST
IC just loves abortion......
hollabackgurl | Dec 23, 2012, 08:42 AM EST
The blatant lie that abortion can never protect the mother's life shows how fanatical they are. Savita Halappanavar did not die of selfishness. Even after her doctors acknowledged that there was no chance her fetus would survive, they refused to terminate the pregnancy as long as they could detect even the faintest fetal heartbeat. Halappanavar slipped in to a coma. She was suffering from a miscarriage and died of septicemia which would have been prevented by a termination.