A woman accused of abortion in El Salvador has been acquitted. The 21-year-old was acquitted of the allegation of murder of the newborn child, said the women’s rights organization „Las 17 y mas“ yesterday.
In a first trial, the woman was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The Supreme Court of the Central American country reversed the verdict and ordered a new trial.
The woman had suffered a miscarriage in 2016 at the 32nd week of pregnancy. The first court had considered this an abortion, which is often treated as murder in El Salvador by the investigative authorities.
„This is an important victory for women’s rights in El Salvador,“ said Amnesty International’s human rights leader Erika Guevara-Rosas. „It shows that no woman should be falsely accused of murder just because she suffers a miscarriage.“
El Salvador is one of the countries with the strictest anti-abortion laws. Abortions are strictly prohibited there, even after rape or health risks for the mother. Abortions are punishable by long prison sentences.
