KYIV. March 23. UNN. For the first time in its history, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) will consider this week the legality of denying a woman access to abortion services, informs UNN, writes AFP.
Details
The woman, known only as “Beatrice”, is defying the Central American country of El Salvador, which has imposed an absolute ban on the procedure regardless of the health of the fetus or any risk to the pregnant woman.
The country will stand trial before the Costa Rica-based IACHR for human rights violations and “torture” for forcing Beatrice to carry a non-viable fetus for nearly three months, despite the risk to her health.
Beatriz, who died in a car accident in 2017 after the case was filed, is suing El Salvador for denying her an abortion even though doctors knew she was carrying a non-viable fetus. putting yourself at great risk.
Beatrice’s family decided to pursue the case after her death so that “no other woman would go through what she went through,” according to her 30-year-old brother Umberto.
“Beatrice” was suffering from an autoimmune disease when she became pregnant for the second time in 2013 at the age of 20, after having already experienced previous complicated births.
The fetus was deemed non-viable due to a severe developmental defect, and “Beatrice” was told she could die if the pregnancy progressed, according to court documents.
She appealed to the court to be allowed to have an abortion, but her case was rejected by the country’s Constitutional Court.
She went into premature labor and the fetus died.
The IACHR will hear testimony from relatives and doctors who treated Beatrice.
The case will be heard over two days, and a decision is expected in about six months.
Context
In El Salvador, abortion has been prohibited since 1998 under the threat of imprisonment for up to eight years.
Instead, courts often find women guilty of aggravated murder and hand down sentences that can reach 50 years.
In Latin America, elective abortions are legal in Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Uruguay, and some Mexican states.
Some countries allow it under certain circumstances, such as rape or health risk, while outright bans also apply in Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Several US states have recently banned most abortions.