El Salvador govt releases 3 women after they served 30 years in prison for having miscarriges

The government of El Salvador has released three women who have been serving for a long time in prison after being sentenced for aborting their babies. Karen, Kathy, and Evelyn were serving 30-year sentences at a prison in the municipality Zacatecoluca. 

Morena Herrera of the Citizen’s Group for the Depenalization of Abortion on Friday noted that the group was informed by the authorities, had been forgiven by President Nayib Bukele, but when they reached outside the prison to take the woman, instead three women were released.

The three released women were part of the 17 women who were convicted of having abortions despite obstetric emergencies; the group has been a part of campaigns against governments’ strict policies of the abortion law. 

El Salvador governments’ law for abortion: 

El Salvador is among the other four nations of the Latin American region, who have banned abortion in any case, even if it is rape or miscarriage. There have been several voices raised against the stringent law of abortion, highlighting that it is against women’s human rights. 

The other nations that have banned abortion are – Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. The charges of homicide are often brought in abortion cases. 

El Salvador’s 1956 Penal Code included no explicit exception to its prohibition of abortion, although, under accepted principles of criminal law, one could be justified if required to preserve the life of the pregnant woman. 

In reply to the fact that the practice of illegal abortion was common and was a major contributor to the rate of maternal mortality, the Salvadoran government chose to expand the cases in which abortion was allowed.