30 Sep 2015

Nauru abortion delay mystifies activist

9:03 am on 30 September 2015

There have been more revelations of violent sexual attacks on female refugees and asylum seekers in the Australian-run camps on Nauru.

The alleged rape of one woman, which has left her pregnant and assaults on a Somali woman, who was held prisoner by Somali rebels for two years were highlighted in an ABC television report on Monday night.

An Australian based refugee campaigner, Ian Rintoul, says he has been in close contact with both women.

Mr Rintoul says efforts to have the pregnant woman flown to Australia for an abortion have been ignored by Australian authorities.

"They know the woman is pregnant, they know it is 10 weeks, they know very well as medical providers the dangers of prolonging the termination. There have been other incidents where people have become pregnant in similar circumstances and there have been terminations of pregnancies. Why they are sitting on their hands in this particular case, that is something that the Immigration Department will have to answer for."