Russia to debate church’s radical new abortion proposal
The plan reportedly involves stricter time limits and a requirement for the consent of family members | The initiative proposes requiring the consent of a woman’s family members before the procedure, according to the Parliamentary Gazette. If a woman is married, the “informed consent” of her husband would be required as well. For underage girls, approval from at least one of the parents would be needed. The current laws allow the decision to be made without anyone else’s input or approval. ● The amendments would also ban abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, from the current 12, and allow rape victims to request the procedure at up to 12 weeks, down from the current 22. ● Women would also have to go through mandatory pre-abortion counseling, including a demonstration of the baby’s beating heart during an ultrasound scan, and extend the required “contemplation period” from the current 48 hours to one week. ● Private clinics would be banned from performing abortions, while the “encouragement” or “propaganda” of abortion would be subject to administrative penalties, including fines. Punishments for illegally performed abortions would be increased as well. According to RBK, the committee intends to review the proposed amendments within a month. After that, it could be presented to the State Duma for a general debate and a potential floor vote.