On 19 July, the Dominican Republic Chamber of Deputies decided to remove a clause in the new Criminal Code which would have decriminalised abortion in cases where the mother’s life was at risk or in the event of deformity, incest or rape. This clause was rejected with a crushing majority of 132 votes to 6.
Abortion is still considered a crime in this country and carries a prison sentence of 2 to 3 years for the mother and 4 to 10 years for a health professional.
The Chamber thus followed a Constitutional Court decision which had already invalidated a similar amendment introduced into the Criminal Code. Furthermore, this vote complies with Article 37 of the national Constitution, which stipulates that “the right to life is inviolable, from conception to death. The death penalty cannot be established, announced or applied in all cases”.
The Senate has to confirm this vote.
CFAM, Marianna Orlandi (20/07/2016)