Argentina has witnessed more suffering and death since it legalized the killing of unborn babies in abortions last December.
Nearly 33,000 unborn babies have been killed. A young abortion activist died along with her unborn baby after a legal, botched abortion. And now, a prolific abortionist in northern Argentina is facing charges for allegedly aborting a late-term unborn baby without the mother’s consent.
Forced and coerced abortions are a very real but often overlooked problem, and Dr. Miranda Ruiz, of Tartagal, in the province of Salta, could spend up to 10 years in prison if convicted, Newsweek reports.
Initially, Prosecutor Gonzalo Vega also accused Ruiz of violating the ban on late-term abortions; however, he later modified the complaint, The AP reports.
Abortions are legal for any reason up to 14 weeks and up to birth in cases of rape or risks to the mother’s health in Argentina.
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Pro-life advocates warned lawmakers that the health exception was a wide loophole that would allow abortions for basically any reason up to birth. Some abortionists argue that pregnancy itself is a health risk, therefore any abortion at any stage of pregnancy could be justified under the exception.
It appears that may have been what happened with the Ruiz case. The woman was 22 weeks pregnant, which is long past the legal limit, according to the report. Viability is considered to be about 22 weeks now, meaning the unborn baby likely could have survived outside the womb.
However, it appears that Ruiz allegedly justified aborting the woman’s late-term unborn baby by claiming the pregnancy was a risk to her health. That may be why prosecutors dropped that charge against her.
The forced abortion allegation remains.
Here’s more from the AP:
The prosecutor said the woman had stated that she wanted to leave the hospital [prior to the abortion] but was prevented from doing so.
Vega also alleged ”that the express consent required for performing the termination of the pregnancy” was not signed by Ruiz until after the abortion. Ruiz denies that.
Ruiz accused local authorities of trying to “silence” abortionists like herself, according to Newsweek. She estimated that she does about 20 abortions per week, which equates to about 90 percent of the abortions in her area.
Forced and coerced abortions are common, with pressure coming from partners, parents, friends and sometimes even employers. Frequently, coercion is coupled with abuse, and, in some cases, mothers and their unborn babies are abused or killed in other ways after refusing to have an abortion.
One study by the Elliot Institute found a high rate of coerced and forced abortions among post-abortive women, as high as 64 percent. Another 2010 study similarly found a strong link between abortion and abuse against women who seek them. The researchers said the results show a need for abuse screening at abortion facilities and interventions. However, evidence suggests many abortion facilities do not screen for coercion or abuse or report suspected abuse to authorities.
In Argentina, 32,758 unborn babies have been aborted since abortions became legal in January, according to the Argentinian Ministry of Health.
Most countries in Latin America protect unborn babies by banning abortions. However, many are facing intense global pressure from wealthy, powerful governments and organizations to legalize abortion on demand.
