Politics
Tuesday August 22, 2006
Argentina Judge Stops Abortion for Mentally Disabled Woman
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
By Peter J. Smith
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, August 22, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Catholic pro-life groups won an injunction Monday to stop the abortion of a baby conceived in rape after presenting evidence to a federal court that the pregnancy of the mentally disabled woman was far more advanced than her lawyers maintained.
A federal court in Mendoza ordered the abortion be halted after pro-life groups “Life More Humane” and “Women for a more Humane Life” gave evidence that the woman’s clinical history indicated the unborn child was actually in the 20th week of gestation reaching the point of viability, not the 12th week as purported by the woman’s attorneys.
The court order arrived just in time to prevent the abortion, which had been scheduled for Monday morning according to Provincial Health Minister Armando Caletti.
“If, as has been publicly said, the purpose here is to protect the health of the mother, it is obvious that an abortion at such a late stage in the pregnancy would seriously complicate the health of the woman and would pose a risk to her life,” argued the pro-life groups in a joint statement.
“Likewise,” the statement indicates, “knowledge of these circumstances by hospital directors, judicial officials, and officials of the Ministry of Health would make them legally responsible if the murderous act were to take place.”
Although abortion is illegal in Argentina, two exceptions have been made in the law: for either a mentally disabled woman being the victim of rape, or when there is serious danger to the life of the mother.
In a statement concerning the case, Archbishop Jose Maria Arancibia of Mendoza declared that “under no circumstances can the health of a human being be pursued by harming directly or intentionally the integrity of another human being, because the ends do not justify the means, no matter how noble the end.” The Archbishop said that attacking the root causes of social problems should be addressed, rather than seeking the rapid decriminalization of abortion.
The case mirrors a similar situation earlier this month where the provincial High Court ordered an abortion to be conducted on a mentally disabled 19-year-old rape victim. However, when the abortion was finally arranged, the doctors refused to perform the abortion on account of the advanced stage of the pregnancy.
(with files from the Catholic News Agency)
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- "Manhattan Declaration" Embodies U.S. Christian Pushback against Abortion, Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Hoffman Loses Final Tally of NY-23 Race; Alleges ACORN Tampering and Fraud
- Abortion Activist Judge Hamilton Confirmed with Help of Ten Republican Senators
- CDC Reverses Gardasil Vaccine Requirement for Immigrants
- Germany Faces Economic Downturn with Plummeting Birth Rate and Aging Population
- CCHD in Archdiocese of Chicago Says it is Working to Fix Problems
- Rejection of Washington DC Marriage Referendum Challenged With Legal Suit
- Obama-Supporting Homosexual Activist to Out Sexually Involved Priests Unless they Support Gay 'Marriage
- Austrian Catholic Bishops Issue Bland Response to Govt's Homosexual Partnership Bill
- Interim Report on Catholic Sex-Abuse Says "Homosexual Identity" Not a Predictor of Sex Abuse
- LSN NewsBytes - US Health Care Reform
- LSN NewsBytes - Climate Change/Global Warming
- Pro-Abortion Lawmakers Shower Praise on Senate Bill's Phony Abortion Compromise
- 59 Bishops Contributed Financially to Maine Bishop's Effort to Oppose Maine Same-Sex "Marriage" Law
Most Read this Week
- Largest U.S. Homosexual Publisher Shuts Down, Closing Major Gay Newspapers
- Italian Mayors Order Crufixes Put in Classrooms in Revolt against European Court Ruling
- EWTN's Arroyo Hosts Reform CCHD Reps Who Reveal Shocking Evidence Against USCCB Anti-Poverty Arm
- Nat'l Organization for Marriage Responds to Miss California "Sex Tape" Scandal
- Obama Evades Questioning on Stupak Amendment in FOX Interview
- French Judge Finds Hospital Guilty of "Unreasonable Obstinacy" in Saving Newborn's Life
- EU Leaders to Choose President today in Secret "Soviet Style" Meetings
- Hoffman "Unconcedes" Battle for NY-23: Recount Provides Hope for "Miracle" Victory
- CCHD Responds to Reform Movement
- White House Advisor Indicates Obama Will Work to Abolish Pro-Life Health Amendment
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.