Lima, Peru, Oct 15, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Representative of pro-abortion organizations are pressuring the Peruvian government to modify its laws to allow so called “therapeutic abortion” to be practiced in more cases.
Last year, the UN Human Rights Committee, at the request of a pro-abortion group, issued a declaration stating the country of Peru had “violated the rights” of a young mother by not allowing her to abort her unborn child, who was diagnosed with anencephaly, a congenital malformation that usually leads to early death for the baby but poses no risk for the mother.
Various pro-abortion organizations reacted to the declaration by calling on then Health Minister, Pilar Mazzetti, to approve a national protocol that would allow wider access to abortion.
During a pro-abortion event, activists demanded that the Peruvian Health Ministry adopt the declaration by the UN Human Rights Committee and that abortion be allowed for reasons of physical, mental, and even spiritual health of the mother.
One speaker at the event argued that even stress could be considered a valid reason for therapeutic abortion.
Currently Peruvian law only allows abortion in cases of life or serious and permanent health risk of the mother.