by Adam Easton
Date: 23 September 2009
Source: BBC News
A Polish court has awarded $11,000 (7,400 euros) in damages to a woman likened to a child killer by a Catholic magazine for wanting an abortion. Ms T had been warned by doctors when she became pregnant that she could go blind if she had her baby. She was denied an abortion - which should be allowed in Poland when the health of the mother is threatened - and her eyesight subsequently deteriorated. The court in southern Poland ruled that the Catholic magazine, Gosc Niedzielny, had drawn clear parallels between Ms T's desire to have an abortion and the actions of Nazi war criminals. The judge said it had shown "contempt, hostility and malice" and although Catholics have the right to express their disapproval of abortion and even call it murder, they do not have the right to vilify individuals. The magazine's editor said the ruling was unfair and denied comparing Ms T to Nazi criminals. His lawyers said they would use the principle of freedom of speech to appeal.
