In an open letter to Mr Nile, PhD student Angela Williams wrote that she was "disgusted" by [his] post.

She said her post labelling the comments "inappropriate" had been removed from the Facebook page.

"Since you choose to remove my dissenting comments on your Facebook post I am writing to you here to ask why you think it is appropriate to continue the bullying of Charlotte Dawson after her tragic death," she wrote.

"It shows that your core motivation is to drive forward your agenda, regardless of any harm that may cause her family and loved ones, or the impact it may have on anyone facing the difficult decision to terminate a pregnancy. It also shows your absolute lack of regard for anyone struggling with mental health issues."

Asked if he stood by the post, Mr Nile said: "Charlotte Dawson’s story is a sad tragedy as she, like many, is a victim of depression. Her story needs to be told because, if it could happen to a strong and successful woman such as Charlotte, it can happen to anyone. May she finally be at peace. Our sympathy and prayers are with her loved ones."

In an apparent move to limit the fallout from the comments, Mr Nile tweeted a link on Monday afternoon to a Change.org petition calling for tougher cyber bullying laws.

"Please sign this petition to support 'Charlotte's Law'. Let's make cyberbullying laws tougher in Australia," Mr Nile wrote from his official Twitter account @frednile.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/fred-nile-under-fire-for-facebook-post-about-charlotte-dawson-abortion-20140224-33bol.html#ixzz2uDCuSxkW

Gus: exsiting cyber-bullying laws should have stopped Nile in his tracks, but better still, decency should have stopped him from commenting directly about Charlotte... But the eyebrows have the ears of the big guy in the sky... who, in the biblical history, allowed big cheeses such as King David, and small cheeses as well, the right to be polygamists with many women at once and to have concubines on the side just in case some women became too old or did not provide an enjoyable service...