Warsaw Voice - Sailing Home

10 July 2003

The Langenort abortion boat left Władysławowo port July 4 and sailed to the Netherlands. The ship stayed in Poland for two weeks.

Just before the ship sailed off, the head of the Women on Waves Foundation, Rebecca Gomperts, said the Langenort might return to Poland if the country's abortion law was not liberalized. "The Women on Waves are leaving, but the problems of Polish women are still there," she said. Gomperts added that hundreds of Polish women in difficult social and financial situations had called the foundation's hotline. "These women have the right to safe medical services, including safe and legal abortions," she stated.

July 4, the Langenort sailed out from Władyslawowo's port to international waters for the third and last time before returning to the Netherlands. When the Langenort returned to the port, customs officers found that seven Mifegyne early abortion pills were missing from the boat. Apart from the six-member crew, 10 women passengers took part in the "training and educational" cruise: seven Polish and three Dutch women. This time no protests were staged by opponents.
The Langenort came to Poland June 22. During its stay in Władysławowo, the ship sailed out to international waters three times, taking Polish passengers on board. Following each cruise, customs officers discovered the disappearance of several abortion pills kept aboard the ship. The Puck Local Prosecutor's Office then initiated a preparatory investigation concerning the drugs banned in Poland being kept onboard the ship.

The visit of the abortion boat revived public discussion on abortion in Poland. Since the very beginning, activists of extreme right groups-the League of Polish Families and All-Poland Youth-staged protests against the Langenort's activities in Poland.
Wanda Nowicka, the initiator of the ship's visit in Poland and the head of the Federation for Women and Family Planning, called the Langenort "a solidarity ship." She added that the Parliamentary Women's Group assured her that legislative work aimed at liberalizing the anti-abortion law would be undertaken.