Assisting lawful abortion in England 'not a crime', says DPP 17 October 2013 Last updated at 10:53 There is no criminal offence if someone assists a woman going to England for a lawful abortion, the Director of Public Prosecutions in NI has said. Barra McGrory made the comments after the BBC was told draft abortion guidelines had caused a "mood of fear" among medical staff. There have been calls for clarity after women carrying babies with fatal foetal abnormalities told their stories. Draft guidelines were published in March, but following a consultation process, revised guidelines are being brought before the Stormont Executive within weeks. Health Minister Edwin Poots has said he would meet the Public Prosecution Service about the potential prosecution of staff involved in an abortion in certain circumstances. Mr McGrory told the BBC's Nolan Show said: "There is no criminal offence of aiding and abetting, counselling or procuring someone to have what is a lawful abortion in England," he said. We can see no circumstances in which anyone would fall foul of the criminal law in that regard. Mr McGrory added: "The circumstances in which you are talking, of these tragic cases of foetal abnormality, where individuals have felt it necessary to travel to England to have an abortion because of serious foetal abnormality, in those circumstances, I can envisage no situation where anyone giving advice and assistance in that regard would fall foul of the law. You cannot aid or abet or procure something which is not a crime in our law. Last week, the BBC's Nolan Show highlighted the cases of two women, whose babies had fatal foetal abnormality, who were refused terminations in Northern Ireland,