WORLD : Anti-Abortion Bill Sustained
Polish lawmakers today refused to kill proposed anti-abortion legislation that calls for prison sentences of as long as two years for anyone assisting a woman obtaining an abortion in this overwhelmingly Catholic nation.
After a morning of agitated discussion on the extremely controversial bill, the Sejm, or lower house of Parliament, rejected, 230 to 120 with 32 abstentions, a motion to reject consideration of a bill “for the protection of the unborn child.”
The proposed bill is backed by the powerful Roman Catholic Church despite surveys showing that a majority of the people in Poland oppose it.
It would replace Communist-era legislation that basically provides for abortions on demand in Poland, which lacks a reliable supply of such alternative contraceptive devices as birth-control pills or diaphragms. Condoms became available only within the last year.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
