Dr. Guy Capdeville
Chancellor
Catholic University of Brazil

Dear Dr Capdeville,

I was deeply distressed to hear that Professor Deborah Diniz has
been dismissed from her post at the Catholic University of Brazil.
I understand that her dismissal is the direct result of her
participation in a debate about abortion held in March 2002 at the
Higher School of the Ministry Prosecution of the Federal District
and Territories in Brazil, and that her participation in this event
was by invitation.

Abortion is an issue which raises many emotions. Often there are
conflicting arguments and people take opposing sides without
being prepared to listen to alternative points of view. Dr Diniz’s
paper ‘Bioethics and Abortion’ is an exemplary piece of work in
which she explains and analyses some of the arguments about
abortion that have been presented in the bioethics literature. This
kind of work is crucial if any society is to move beyond a situation
of polarised and aggressive stalemate into a situation of dialogue,
debate and tolerance for differing views. A society which is not
prepared to tolerate this kind of analysis is indeed a repressive
society.

The Catholic University may not be held responsible for the
nature of the responses that Dr Diniz received during the so-
called debate, however the University is most certainly
responsible for responding in a cowardly and self-serving manner
in firing Dr Diniz. By this action, the University violates the
strongest principles of academic freedom, sacrificing independent
scholarly enquiry for dogma.

Rather than penalising Dr Diniz for her research, the Catholic
University should be the first to recognise and welcome her
scholarship, which has received international recognition in the
form of the Manuel Velasco-Suarez International Bioethics
Award (PAHO/WHO).

Until such time that Dr Diniz is fully reinstated and receives a
meaningful apology, the Catholic University of Brazil will attract
international opprobrium and be known as a place of bigotry and
injustice rather than an academic institution upholding international
standards of academic freedom and scholarship.

Yours sincerely,


Dr Wendy A Rogers BM.BS, BS Hons, PhD, MRCGP,
FRACGP.
CSO Visiting Fellow 2002


Cc to:
Dr. Ivan Rocha Neto
Dr. Tania Maria Rossi
Fabiana Paranhos
FAB listserv
Dr Wendy Rogers
CSO Visiting Research Fellow
Department of General Practice
The University of Edinburgh
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Edinburgh EH8 9DX
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