Women’s rights’ groups took to the streets across Brazil on Thursday to protest a bill that aims to charge any abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy with homicide. The South American nation allows abortions in cases of rape, an evident risk to the mother’s life or if the fetus has no functioning brain. Beyond these exceptions, Brazil’s Criminal Code imposes between one and three years of prison time for women who terminate a pregnancy. If the bill proposed by the lower house becomes law, that sentence would rise to between six and 20 years of detention if an abortion is performed after 22 weeks of pregnancy, including in cases of rape. (AP video/Lucas Dumphreys)
Brazilian women protest against bill that would equate abortion after 22 weeks with homicide
Women’s rights’ groups took to the streets across Brazil on Thursday to protest a bill that aims to charge any abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy with homicide. The South American nation allows abortions in cases of rape, an evident risk to the mother’s life or if the fetus has no functioning brain. Beyond these exceptions, Brazil’s Criminal Code imposes between one and three years of prison time for women who terminate a pregnancy. If the bill proposed by the lower house becomes law, that sentence would rise to between six and 20 years of detention if an abortion is performed after 22 weeks of pregnancy, including in cases of rape. (AP video/Lucas Dumphreys)