The woman was in prison for 9 years, was the victim of a sexual assault at 17 and suffered an obstetric emergency, but the justice convicted her of homicide.
The Justice of El Salvador granted a woman conditional release after 9 years in prison as part of a 30-year sentence for the crime of aggravated homicide committed for allegedly having an abortion, a non-governmental organization reported Monday.
The Citizen Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion explained in a statement that the woman, only identified as Kenya, was the victim of a sexual assault at the age of 17, became pregnant and suffered an obstetric emergency.
He pointed out that the Salvadoran woman was “arrested by the Police and was later tried for the crime of aggravated homicide,” for which she was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
“We celebrate that Kenya is released after spending 9 years in prison. Her 30-year sentence for aggravated murder has ended (…) we will continue to fight tirelessly and collectively to free the women who are still unjustly detained,” Morena Herrera, of the Citizen Group, pointed out, without giving more details of the case.
According to the non-governmental organization, “Kenya is the fourth woman released from 17 Salvadorans unjustly imprisoned for suffering health emergencies during their pregnancies.”
In El Salvador, women who experience pregnancy complications that lead to miscarriages and stillbirths are routinely suspected of having had an abortion, which is prohibited in all circumstances, and are prosecuted for aggravated homicide, which carries a prison sentence of 30 years
The “total” ban on abortion in El Salvador continues “taking lives,” María Antonieta Alcalde, director for Central America and Mexico of Ipas, an organization that fights for access to abortion, recently assured.
“The total ban on abortion in El Salvador today continues to take lives or continues to unfairly put women in jail,” the Mayor stressed in a message given by videoconference during a press conference in San Salvador on the Beatriz case.
Beatriz, now deceased, was a young woman who in 2013 was prevented from terminating her pregnancy. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
