Anti-Abortion 'Prayers' Cause Rumpus in Croatia

A row has broken out about abortion rights after a Catholic inititiative in Croatia, "40 Days for Life", started its annual campaign of public prayers in front of hospitals, campaigning against abortion and for the life of unborn children.

The controversy began after the group's branch in the eastern town of Vukovar said on Facebook on Tuesday that a woman was coming to Vukovar hospital from a nearby village to have an abortion - and the group should assemble there for a prayer vigil.

"The arrival of a pregnant woman from a nearby town to [have an] abortion in the Vukovar hospital is announced. We urge all prayers to join us in large numbers tomorrow in front of Vukovar hospital, as we greet her like a princess and show how valuable she is and how we are willing to do anything to help her to choose life," the group said on Facebook

After their activists duly lined up in front of the hospital, praying and holding placards, questions were asked about how they obtained such personal information on a patient, and whether it came from hospital files, which is confidential according to the law.

Lidija Dugan, regional coordinator of the initiative, told Croatia's private Nova TV station that it was not the case that they got it from the hospital files.

"Absolutely not. We did not get this information from Vukovar hospital. The post of the Facebook page was posted exclusively to call for prayers," Dugan said.

Dugan insisted that they did not breach the woman's right to come to hospital for an abortion and said that their global initiative - allegedly 700,000 strong - exists only to pray and support all women who freely decide to change their minds.

Hospital director Vesna Bosanac told regional N1 TV on Wednesday that she had...