Argentina Abortion Right For Rape Victims Approved By Supreme Court

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina's Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday that any rape victim can get an abortion, setting a historic precedent in a country where abortions are generally illegal.

Until now, it had been up to a judge to decide which rape victims could get abortions, and generally only women with mental disabilities were approved. In several well-publicized cases, even young girls who had been raped were forced to carry out their pregnancies.

The Supreme Court now says no rape victim can be punished for terminating a pregnancy. And those women no longer need a court order. All they need to provide to a doctor is a sworn declaration that they were raped.

The Roman Catholic Church condemned the ruling, saying abortions are wrong even in the event of a rape.

Argentine women whose lives are endangered by pregnancy also are permitted to have abortions.

Comments

[aviana]

09:45 PM on 03/30/2012

thank god for common sense and compassion expressed in this court ruling. the catholic church's stance on rape and pregnancy is just plain cruel and evil. i do not use those two words lightly.

[lakers1784]

01:31 AM on 03/20/2012

Two wrongs do not make a right.

[Rightbrainedleftwinged]

08:41 PM on 03/19/2012

It is interesting that many Latin American countries are tough on abortion, and make it difficult for women to have the procedure, yet on gay rights, I know some of those countries have been fairly open to gay relationships. Now in Russia and Ukraine and the Baltic states, a leftover from the communist era still has a way of supressing gay people and have constitutional laws against same sex marriage, yet obtaining an abortion is quite easy. THe word gay in Russia has been outlawed in some places, which sounds rather similar to Tennessee's crazy GOP legislature. It is interesting how some cultures very on this issue, while the American south, seems to be a double dose of social conservativism.

[iratior]

11:04 AM on 03/19/2012

Glad to know that the rightwingers haven't succeeded in packing the Argentine supreme court yet. Maybe Sarah Palin can propose impeaching the judges on it ...

[YOKEL13]

11:00 AM on 03/19/2012

To oppose both abortion and birth control is morally inconsistent.

[Brian Marshall]

05:00 PM on 03/22/2012

Reminds me of Monty Python's satirical song in "The Meaning of Life".....Not a sperm is wasted!!!

[Yorksgal]

11:29 PM on 03/18/2012

Argentina - one step forward, America - two centuries backward.

[Allan Tanny]

11:27 PM on 03/18/2012

Bet the church's attitude would be different if little boys could get pregnant.

[Dadzilla]

10:11 PM on 03/18/2012

A small step forward...

[Shertene09]

09:58 PM on 03/18/2012

Any one who thinks a woman should be forced to carry a child from rape has no compassion. You pull the child does not deserve this but that woman does not deserve to be raped.

[Shertene09]

09:47 PM on 03/18/2012

I wonder why are the not outraged by the many children that some of these priest have raped and destroyed. Where is the outcry to clean their own houses up. So, God will applaud them for their stance on abortion but over look the many other people harmed because of their sex scandals. (I think not)

[travlindr]

09:19 PM on 03/18/2012

The Argentine court has some common sense. A rape victim should not have to bear a child who is the result of violence, nor should a woman have to die because she is pregnant when her life can be saved by a simple abortion.

[karela]

08:48 PM on 03/18/2012

Man alive, I am really, REALLY sick of what the Catholic church thinks and then imposes on others. Those chubby little back room men in dresses should get a life of their own and stop trying to rule other people's lives. Yuck!

[Oonagh]

11:04 PM on 03/19/2012

Ain't that the truth

[High Prairie Lady]

08:42 PM on 03/18/2012

If a woman is forced to maintain a pregnancy from rape then the government should pay for all of her associated medical costs, compensation for missed work, child care and all other costs relating to the child until the child is 18 years old.

[kaykaythere]

08:02 PM on 03/18/2012

Good for Argentina

First they accepted same sex marriage. Now that woman need the right to make their medical decisions.

HORRAAY

[SaburoHakaida]

07:35 PM on 03/18/2012

Bravo Argentina. No woman has to be forced to give birth from rape.