The unborn children win – and live – in the Dominican Republic

By Marianna Orlandi, Ph.D. | July 20, 2016

child-laughing

Yesterday, the Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic affirmed that the unborn has a right to life in their country.

Upon approval of the new Criminal Code, the majority decided to eliminate a new paragraph of article 110, which would have decriminalized abortion not only to save the mother’s life, but also in cases of malformation, incest, and rape.

The prolife vote of the Chamber is consistent with a previous judgement of the Constitutional Court, which struck down an amendment to the criminal code that already tried to legalize abortion in those same “exceptional” cases.

Moreover this vote is consistent with article 37 of the national constitution: “The right to life is inviolable from conception to death. The death penalty cannot be established, pronounced or applied, in any case.”

Given the bicameral nature of the Dominican legislature, local prolifers are waiting for the vote of the Senate before crying victory. Nonetheless, the overwhelming majority that refused to decriminalize abortion is a true miracle already: 132 votes against – 6 in favor.

Jean Marco, a young member of the local “Acción Cristiana”, told C-Fam: “This result may not be attributed exclusively to the numerous and intense meetings of prolife NGOs with Dominican legislators: God played his part”.

At present, the killing of a preborn child remains a crime, punishable by a 2 to 3 years sentence both for the mother and for anybody who helps her. The physician, nurse, obstetrician, pharmacist, or any other professional who assists in or performs an abortion faces a sentence of 4 to 10 years.

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