Evidence also contradicts the claims made by this resolution. Permissive abortion regimes do not protect the health of women. Countries where abortion is not permitted actually show substantially better healthcare for mothers and children. Many women experience serious physical and emotional suffering following legal abortion. Nor does decriminalisation guarantee an end to clandestine abortions. The promotion of birth control and contraceptive-based sex education has proved to be incapable of reducing the level of abortions.

Mrs Gisela Wurm, a socialist deputy from Austria who prepared the report, claimed that refusal of abortion was violence against women. She also said that whether abortion was legal or not had little bearing on a woman's decision however, where it was illegal it was not safe. Mrs Christine Mc Cafferty, Labour MP for Calder Valley, England, said women would go to any lengths and take any risk to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. Referring to the Tysiac case (ECHR Tysiac V Poland) she said that it was a case of a woman's sight being of less value than terminating a pregnancy.

"Senator Terry Leyden of Ireland's Fianna Fáil party, and vice-chair of the assembly's liberal group, said the resolution was partisan, one-sided and based on flawed logic. Ireland, which did not have abortion, had the lowest maternal mortality in Europe. He also told the meeting that Ireland had placed an article in its constitution protecting unborn life but also upholding the right to life of the mother. Other speakers were allowed to exceed their allotted time, but Senator Leyden was stopped from speaking before he had finished his intervention. Mr Leyden said afterwards "I regret this pro-abortion resolution was adopted but it has no jurisdiction in the Irish context". Mr Nigel Dodds MLA from Northern Ireland was also in attendance and voted against the resolution. Mr Dodds commented afterwards, "It is a sad day for babies in Europe but the fight goes on"