Health personnel who intervene in the interruption of pregnancy in cases of rape must notify the General Prosecutor’s Office (FGE) of all the information available on the alleged commission of a sexual crime against girls, adolescents and women. To do this, you will have a maximum period of 48 hours.

Activists for women’s rights protested outside the Assembly in a debate on reforms to the COIP.

This is one of the changes incorporated on January 10 by the Justice Commission to the final report of the organic law project that guarantees the voluntary interruption of the pregnancy of girls, adolescents and women in the event of rape.

The issue is contained in article 20, which establishes the requirements for the voluntary interruption of pregnancy in the event of rape. It was raised by legislator José Agualsaca of Unión por la Esperanza (UNES), during the session of the Commission that analyzed each of the articles of the bill.

The proposal was approved with 9 affirmative votes, and it was also included as part of article 25, which deals with the duties of health personnel.

Those health establishments must report these cases to the Prosecutor’s Office so that the crime can be investigated and punished, in order to guarantee access to justice and non-impunity.

The one who spoke out against the proposal was Assemblyman Ricardo Vanegas, from Pachakutik. In the reasoning for his vote, he recalled that in 2021 the Justice Commission called the attention of the Guayas Prosecutor’s Office and medical personnel for the case of the rape of two children in Naranjal, due to the lack of immediate action. “Now they are asking in this bill to wait 48 hours; as I am not used to being inconsistent with legal actions, (my vote is) against,” said Vanegas.

In article 25, at the suggestion of the assembly member Gissela Garzón (UNES), numeral 7 was reformed and it was established that the voluntary interruption of pregnancy in case of rape be carried out taking into account the best methods, without risks, on the scientific evidence base.

In this way, the original text was modified, which indicated that the procedures for termination of pregnancy in the event of rape be carried out with surgical and medicinal methods.

Garzón justified that his initiative responds to scientific advances that may be presented in the future and allow interventions without the need for surgical procedures.

“Why remove the surgical or drug part? Because science is constantly advancing and, at a time when there is another less invasive procedure, have the possibility that, based on scientific evidence, there is no need to reform a law, but that it is applied only based on the protocols that The Ministry of Health has it,” Garzón explained.

After the approval of the changes to article 25, around 9:30 p.m. and after about ten hours of meeting, the president of the Justice Commission, Alejandro Jaramillo, suspended the session. The legislative table will take up the issue on January 12, at 09:30. The report of the bill issued by the Commission will reach the plenary session of the Assembly for analysis and voting. (I)