Abortion not punishable by rape and malformation of the fetus goes to the Plenary

Ecuadornews:

The decriminalization of abortion due to rape or statutory rape and malformation of the fetus was included in the report for the first debate on the draft reforms to the Organic Comprehensive Criminal Code (COIP).

The document was approved on the morning of this Wednesday, December 19, 2018. With seven votes in favor and two abstentions, the Justice Committee of the National Assembly gave way to the report, which will be sent to the president of the Legislative, Elizabeth Cabezas.

The project consists of 14 topics, among the most controversial is abortion not punishable in cases of rape or an offense that occurs when an adult has sexual relations with a minor. Also when the fetus presents malformations. This was indicated by the Correista Assemblyman Franklin Samaniego. “Abortion by rape is not mandatory but by will,” said.

This issue is included in Article 150 of the legal body and came in July 2018 from the groups that defend women’s rights. As part of the debate in the Commission, what was considered a violation or not was analyzed. Samaniego says there are options such as presenting a document or an affidavit to the authorities. Also discussed was that the doctor submit a report to the Office of the Prosecutor, to investigate the rape, “not on abortion,” he said.

The legislator of madera de Guerrero, Henry Cucalón, abstained in the voting of the Commission, since it does not share with several points included in the reforms; one of them is the decriminalization of abortion, according to the indicated causes.

In her Twitter account, Correista legislator Marcela Aguiñaga explained: “We deliver topics of citizen interest, we believe that those that are complex, such as the use of therapeutic cannabis and the decriminalization of abortion, require the debate of the 137 legislators.” For the analysis of the topics, the Commission invited experts.

Nidya Pesantes, National Officer of the UN Women Ecuador Program, presented figures related to the decriminalization of abortion in Latin America and the reduction of maternal deaths. In Uruguay, for example, the death of women went from 37%, between 2001 and 2005, to 8%, as of 2011.

Other specialists pointed out that this is a public health problem. Women’s organizations, such as Fundación Desafío and Surkuna, have promoted campaigns as non-mothers in relation to the fact that minors, victims of rape, cannot be allowed to carry out pregnancies and give birth. (I)

Source: https://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/aborto-violacion-malformacion-feto-asamblea.html