Argentina, Latin America: Week in Review

Argentine Supreme Court Allows Abortion For Victims of Rape

March 14, 2012 By Staff

Today in Latin America

Top Story — Argentina’s Supreme Court unanimously ruled Tuesday that abortion is legal for victims of rape in the country, clarifying an ambiguous 1922 law. Previously, some courts had interpreted the law to apply only to women with mental disabilities. Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling revolved around the case of a fifteen year-old girl who was raped by her stepfather, with the high court upholding a decision by a provincial court that the girl could have an abortion. The Supreme Court said that a delay over the meaning of the law had in some cases endangered the health of women waiting to know if they could perform the procedure, and urged judges not to intervene in cases of rape. The head of Argentina’s bishops conference, Monsignor Jose Maria Arancedo, criticized the ruling by saying, “There is nothing that justifies the elimination of an innocent life, not even the lamentable and sad case of rape.” Cuba and Guyana are the only Latin American nations to have fully legalized abortion.

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