New Spanish Abortion Laws Scrapped By Conservative Government
Spain News
Published: 23 September 2014 12:03 CET
Updated: 20 December 2019 13:03 CET
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced on Tuesday that his government would withdraw plans for a tough new abortion law, stating that there was insufficient backing for the legislation.
Instead, Prime Minister Rajoy announced that the government would make reforms to the current law to ensure that 16 and 17 year olds will need the consent of their families before they can go ahead with a termination.
"I think I have taken the most sensible decision at this time", Rajoy told reporters. "We cannot have a law that will be changed in a minute as soon as another government comes along."
The draft reform, which was approved in January, would have permitted abortions only in cases of rape which had been reported to the police or when there was a medically certified risk to the mother's physical or psychological well-being.
Under current Spanish legislation enacted by the former Socialist government in 2010, women in Spain have the legal right to an abortion on demand up to 14 weeks into their pregnancy.
Women also have the legal right to abort up to the 22nd week of pregnancy in cases where the mother's health is at risk or there are signs of foetal abnormality.
Under the previous 1985 law, abortion was a crime in Spain except in cases of rape, risk to the mother's health or deformation of the foetus.
The legislation, set in motion by Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon, has sparked a number of protests in recent months with thousands taking to the streets to voice their disapproval. The draft plans are also thought to have caused decent within the ranks of Mariano Rajoy's very own conservative Popular Party.
Rajoy conceded that, "The government has tried as hard as possible to reach the broadest consensus possible. We will continue studying ways to obtain greater acceptance of the reform."
