Rape victim abortion case polarizes Argentina
MrBrian
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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) - An abortion case involving a mentally disabled rape victim has polarized Argentina, setting the government against courts in a Roman Catholic nation where terminating pregnancy is mostly illegal.
A top provincial court will decide within a few days whether to allow a mentally impaired 19 year old, four months pregnant, to have an abortion.
Two lower tribunals have denied the request, arguing in part the constitutional mandate to protect children's rights trumps criminal law. One judge also cited the influence of her own religious convictions, according to local media.
"I am very disturbed by these rulings because this is a typical case, which is totally legal under criminal law," Health Minister Gines Gonzalez Garcia, a proponent of loosening restrictions on abortion, told local radio,
"This girl has a mental disability, she was raped, her parents are asking for the abortion. It is incredible that the courts are going in circles on this and giving abstract arguments," Gonzalez Garcia said. "This is making a tragedy all the more tragic."
Abortion is illegal in much of Latin America, home to half the world's Catholics. In Argentina alone, between 500,000 and 700,000 clandestine abortions are practiced each year, the minister said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060728/wl_nm/argentina_abortion_dc
A top provincial court will decide within a few days whether to allow a mentally impaired 19 year old, four months pregnant, to have an abortion.
Two lower tribunals have denied the request, arguing in part the constitutional mandate to protect children's rights trumps criminal law. One judge also cited the influence of her own religious convictions, according to local media.
"I am very disturbed by these rulings because this is a typical case, which is totally legal under criminal law," Health Minister Gines Gonzalez Garcia, a proponent of loosening restrictions on abortion, told local radio,
"This girl has a mental disability, she was raped, her parents are asking for the abortion. It is incredible that the courts are going in circles on this and giving abstract arguments," Gonzalez Garcia said. "This is making a tragedy all the more tragic."
Abortion is illegal in much of Latin America, home to half the world's Catholics. In Argentina alone, between 500,000 and 700,000 clandestine abortions are practiced each year, the minister said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060728/wl_nm/argentina_abortion_dc
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Comments
As an Argentinean inhabitant I have to say that even though this news is getting (very well deserved attention) it is not like it is polarizing our country. This is a tragic event but we have more serious problems, sadly...
Here in Argentina abortion is legal only under two criteria: i) mother's life is in a life-death situation; ii) the baby has a condition that will prevent him/her to live outside the mother's womb. So, legally speaking there is no ground for abortion in this situation. However, in my personal belief this poor girl should be allowed to have an abortion really. I mean she was violated (to me this alone would be enough to have an abortion) and, to make things worse, she is mentally disabled.
My guess is due to intense government pressure the girl will be allowed to abort. This could be a big case in terms of setting a precedent.
Yes, the information about Latin America and abortions is accurate. I believe only in Cuba abortion is legal under any circumstance.
Peace
Caterina