Right to life — but not for the mother
In this small Central American nation, abortion is more grievous a crime than ‘ordinary’ murder. There are 49 women serving sentences for interrupting pregnancy, charged with “aggravated homicide”, which has a maximum sentence of 50 years. Any doctor deemed to have interfered with the life of the unborn will be sentenced to 12 years in prison, a risk that resulted in 13 women dying last year, denied life-saving medical intervention. If a woman travels abroad for a termination, she faces a possible two-year sentence on her return, as an ‘accomplice’ to the crime.
However, wealthy Salvadoran women travel abroad for terminations, or can request medical intervention in private clinics at home, where doctors ask no questions.
