Five guilty of violating abortion laws

Five people have been convicted today of violating abortion laws in Portugal, where the practice is illegal, Portuguese media reported.

The five people, who included a doctor, a nurse and three women accused of having abortions, had previously been acquitted for the same crime in 2004, but the case was reopened after a state appeal, the Lusa news agency and TSF radio reported.

Court officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Abortion is illegal in Portugal except in cases where a woman has been raped or medical problems arise because of the pregnancy. It cannot be performed after the 12th week.

The women were given suspended prison sentences of six months each and the nurse was handed a 16-month sentence.

The doctor was sentenced to a total of three years and eight months in prison.

The defendants have 15 days to appeal to the Supreme Court, the country’s highest tribunal.

Authorities say around 10,000 women are admitted to hospitals in Portugal each year for treatment of complications arising from botched illegal abortions.

Portugal held a referendum on abortion in 1998, but the vote was declared void because not enough people participated. To be binding, more than half of the country’s registered voters must cast ballots.

Last year the Constitutional Court disallowed the Socialist government’s plan to hold another referendum before year’s end on easing the restrictive abortion laws.