In Europe not everyone is in the same boat. Our neighbors across the Rhine are an example of this. Article 218 of their penal code therefore prohibits abortion, except in cases of rape or risk to the mother’s life. However, women who still use it during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy are not exposed to any sanctions.
There are therefore between 90,000 and 100,000 those who abort every year, effectively committing “an act punishable by law” This was reported by the German newspaper Tagesspiegel. An ambiguous situation, therefore, which benefits from the tolerance of the law but shows the fragility of this right. On Monday 15 April, an expert committee commissioned by the government of Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals called for changes to the legislation, submitting a report to this effect to the Minister of Health, Family and Justice.
Change the law
“ Currently article 218 of the Penal Code is unsustainable. The legislator should act in this area and make abortion legal and unpunished » insisted lawyer Liane Wörner, member of the Commission, on the German channel ZDF, whose observations were translated and broadcast by French culture. The expert commission would also like to see the period during which abortion could be legal on German soil extended.
According to the German press, however, the government is very reluctant to change the law, fearing that the public debate will become polarised. The Health Minister reportedly declared to the Süddeutsche Zeitung “ The last thing we need are debates that inflame society “. The minister would therefore prefer “improving women’s access to abortion, which is very unequal between German regions, instead of addressing its legalization in due form” summary French culture.
If the conservatives are satisfied with Article 218, seen as an adequate compromise between “the rights of pregnant women and the protection of unborn children “, the reality is that German women who wish to have an abortion encounter a series of difficulties. Starting with non-payment for the abortion, which costs on average between 350 and 650 euros (or even more if it requires hospitalization). Access is therefore reserved for those who can afford it.
Even if the next German legislative elections will be held in 2025, the issue of abortion rights could be at the center of the debates.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
