The rapid and secret transfer from Australia of the 23-year-old Somali woman seeking termination of a pregnancy allegedly resulting from rape on Nauru is deeply shocking and sets a new low in Australia's treatment of asylum seeker women ("Somali refugee deported after claims she rejected the abortion she requested", smh.com.au,   October 16). 
We write as doctors, many of us with long experience in the area of women's health, others with experience of caring for asylum seekers in detention, to appeal to the decency of the minister that this woman be returned to Australia to receive the same level of care regarded as essential for women resident in Australia finding themselves in a similar situation. That is, simply, expert counselling about her pregnancy options, safe surgical abortion if that is her choice and appropriate counselling and care from an expert sexual assault team. In her five days in Australia, it appears she did not receive this care.
Returning her to Nauru to continue her pregnancy there when it appears she is requesting termination is a major breach of her human rights. She faces enormous risks to her physical and mental health in Nauru, with a high possibility of self-harm. There are also great dangers in leaving her on the island exposed to her alleged rapist. This must not be allowed to happen.
Professor Caroline de Costa, Dr Deborah Bateson, Professor David Isaacs, Dr Sue Jacobs, Dr John-Paul Sanggaran, Professor Alexandra Barratt, Associate Professor Kirsten Black, Dr Jenny King, Dr Anu Lal, Dr Heather McNamee, Dr Ellie Freedman, Dr Melissa Kang, Dr Emma Boulton and Dr Jo Ludlow
A pregnant woman, allegedly a rape victim, brought to Australia for counselling and an abortion is returned to Nauru without treatment. How can this happen?  What is the Immigration Minister thinking? Does he see this as a sign of strength in the continuation of deterrence?  I think not.  It is another demonstration of a total lack of compassion.  It is tantamount to torture, to add to all the other torturous actions taken by this government in the pursuit of what? Is he testing fair-minded Australians to see just how far he can go?  
This madness can no longer be allowed to continue and there will come a time, very soon I hope, when Australians will rise up against the unmitigated cruelty visited on defenceless people we are supposed to be protecting.
Margarett McPherson The Gap (Qld)
What depths can our government sink to? All women should be utterly shocked at the callous treatment of women refugees held in Nauru. That the government could arrange for this poor woman, allegedly raped, traumatised and pregnant to be returned to Nauru so quickly and secretively, without contact with the people who have tried to help her, is beyond belief. 
What a horror we have created in that hell hole of Nauru. 
The Liberal and Labor parties are equally cruel and their fine words against violence towards women are just that - fine words, full of sound and fury and signifying nothing.
Cathy Knoles Neutral Bay