A 14-year-old rape victim is dead in Paraguay this week after complications from childbirth. She had been hospitalized for 20 days before her sudden death. The Guardian reports that her baby is intensive care.
It is not the first time Paraguay has made headlines for failing to allow mothers the right to an abortion when their lives are in danger. An earlier rape case of a 10-year-old girl also ended with her being forced to give birth. She survived, but Amnesty International said the denial of abortion broke international law.
These are the stories that come out of countries like Paraguay, where an extremely conservative Catholic government blocks women from accessing abortions.
In El Salvador, a 34-year-old woman was jailed for 11 years after her baby was stillborn.
It’s not just a Latin American problem either. Just a few years ago, a 31-year-old woman died in Ireland died after she was denied an abortion. This week, protesters took to the streets in Poland, where abortion is only permitted if the mother’s life is in danger or in cases of rape or incest.
When access to an abortion is so restricted, there’s an extra penalization that only applies to women – some of whom may still be grappling with the loss of their baby or the aftermath of sexual assault.
The line that dictates what is safe for the mother is a blurry one that’s likely to be abused. Conservatives interests, in the name of life, can push a mother to the line of danger that she can be saved from – as was the case with this 14-year-old girl.
