Why Brazil's Draconian Abortion Bill Amounts To Child Abuse Of Underage Girls
Brazil may become the last in a long list of countries to restrict legal access to abortion. However, the consequences here would be devastating for girls aged below 14, who represent more than 60% of victims of rape.
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June 15, 2024, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil: People demonstrate in opposition to (Bill 1904/24 equates abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy to the crime of homicide), supported by the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira. Protesters argue that rape victims who obtain abortions after the 22nd week should not be criminalized, especially with penalties that may be more severe than those imposed on rapists themselves. They also highlight that the reality of abuse against children up to 14 years of age in the country is alarming and that these young people need to be protected, not penalized. (Credit Image: © Wagner Vilas/ZUMA Press Wire
ENGLISH EDITION • WORLDCRUNCH Marcia Castro June 17, 2024
SÂO PAULO — It took just 23 seconds: on June 12, the Chamber of Deputies, Brazil’s lower house, approved bill 1904/24, which equates abortions carried out after 22 weeks of gestation, even in cases of pregnancy resulting from rape, to the crime of simple homicide. That would carry a penalty of six to 20 years in prison.
Pushed through under the urgency regime, the project can be approved in a short time, without being discussed by the parliamentary commissions. The bill is inhumane and irresponsible. It demonstrates the total disconnect between the daily demands of the people and the agenda of the legislature, which is supposed to be the house of the people.
How can fast-tracking this new law be justified? How many girls under 14 that became pregnant after being raped were heard by the members of parliament? What data was collected to understand the barriers to accessing legal abortion in cases of rape?
The only urgency on this topic should be in punishing rapists and in protecting children and teens.
Prioritizing children
According to the “Anuário Brasileiro de Segurança Pública” (Brazilian Public Security Yearbook), cases of rape in Brazil are on the rise, and they reached 75,000 in 2023. The number only takes into account cases that were reported to the police, which represent around 8.5% of total cases, as shown in a 2023 study carried out by the “Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada” (Institute of Applied Economic Research).
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https://worldcrunch.com/women-worldwide/brazil-abortion-bill-minors