Alarmed by a rise in deadly violence against pregnant mothers and unborn babies in Mexico, pro-life leaders in the country are demanding action from authorities.
The pro-life organization Pasos por la Vida (Steps for Life) urged state and federal authorities to protect women and children after three pregnant women and two of their unborn babies were murdered in Mexico in recent weeks.
“Rosa, Aurora and Ana, we will demand justice for you, but we will also vindicate the sacredness of life until it is untouchable, unquestionable and welcomed by all Mexicans again,” the organization wrote late last week on its Facebook page.
Catholic News Agency reports Pilar Rebollo, a spokeswoman for the pro-life organization, said pro-life advocates want state and federal governments to develop policies to protect and support pregnant mothers and children.
“At this time, the widespread demand of Mexican society is the prevention of any form of violence against women, and for those who are pregnant, protection must be extended to their children in the womb,” Rebollo said.
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The pro-life organization pointed to a recent study that found nearly half of all women suffered violence since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. According to CNA, statistics from the National Public Security System also show a 137-percent increase in femicide (the targeted killing of women and girls) between 2015 and 2020.
The organization linked the violent crime wave, in part, to human trafficking in its call for action, noting the numerous ways human lives are being devalued.
“… we are demanding that each of the state governments and the federal government put an end once and for all to the murders of pregnant women, since this crime that seriously harms society cannot be inevitable and must be prevented,” Rebollo said.
Her organization also urged lawmakers to support women in need through “social security, sources of employment, accessible and safe day care centers, [and] access to education, among other things, so she can provide her family with decent living conditions.”
The murder of pregnant mothers is not just a problem in Mexico. Homicide is one of the top causes of death among pregnant women in the United States, according to a 2021 study in the journal “Obstetrics & Gynecology.” Sometimes, the abuse is connected to a mother’s refusal to abort her unborn child.
Studies also have found high rates of violent abuse among pregnant women and women seeking abortions.
In Mexico, abortion laws vary by state. In October, the Quintana Roo legislature voted to decriminalize the killing of unborn babies in abortions, joining 10 other states.
Last year, the federal legislature postponed voting on a bill to legalize abortions throughout Mexico, but pro-life advocates expect lawmakers will resurrect it. And a 2021 ruling by the Mexico Supreme Court decriminalizing abortion emboldened abortion activists to push for more pro-abortion laws across the country.
However, legalizing abortion does not protect women from violence or death. Pro-abortion laws increase violence by allowing unborn babies to be killed and making it easier for abusers to pressure and force pregnant mothers into aborting their children.
