Legislators of several fractions presented a motion so that the Government does not sign the protocol to apply the therapeutic abortion that would allow this practice when the life of the baby or the woman is at risk.
Article 121 of the Criminal Code indicates that
an abortion practiced with the consent of the woman by a doctor or by an authorized obstetrician is not punishable when the intervention of the first one was not possible, if it has been done in order to avoid risking the life or health of the mother and this could not have been avoided by other means.”
Despite being established in the Criminal Code, it cannot be done due to the lack of this protocol.
The motion was presented by legislators of the Christian Social Unity Party (PUSC), National Restoration, the block of independent legislators, as well as David Gourzong from the National Liberation Party (PLN), for a total of 24 congressmen.
A survey conducted by students of Statistics of the University of Costa Rica (UCR) published on December 19th, reveals that half of Costa Ricans have never heard about therapeutic abortion or completely ignore the topic.