A 2020 court ruling in Poland illegalized abortion based on grounds of disability, such as the diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. This has caused an enormous drop of legal abortions in the country. According to official numbers, the number of abortions in Poland has reduced from 1,076 in 2020 to 107 in 2021. This means that the number of legal abortions has reduced by 90 percent.
Pro-life groups are happy with this new law. They say the court ruling saved almost 1000 children in the first year of its implementation.
The head of pro-life group Proelio Group Foundation says: “The right to life should not depend on the diagnosis of a medical condition.” She added that this law prevents doctors to pressure parents into having an abortion.
Abortion in Poland is now only allowed when the mother’s life is at risk, or in case of rape or incest.
The Tribunal in the court ruling stated: “The unborn child, as a human being who is entitled to inherent and inalienable dignity, is a subject having the right to life, and the legal system must guarantee due protection for this central good.”
It is not clear how many illegal abortions are taking place in Poland.
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