The Spanish government has approved tighter rules on abortion, making it legal only in the case of rape or when the mother faces a serious risk. The changes make the country’s laws among the most restrictive in Europe.
Spain’s conservative government on Friday moved to restrict a law that had previously allowed abortion on request within a 14-week term.
Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon said the change was needed to ensure better protection for both women and unborn children.
“We can’t allow the life of the unborn baby to depend exclusively on the decision of the mother,” said Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon, while adding: “What the government understands is that in the dramatic circumstances of an abortion the woman is not guilty. The woman is always the victim.”
The draft law envisages abortion only in the case of a woman having been raped, or when to carry the baby to full term might pose a serious risk to the mother’s mental or physical health.
The legislation makes it no longer possible to request abortion in the case of a malformation of the fetus. With Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his ruling People’s Party enjoying an absolute majority in parliament, the law is expected to pass with ease.
