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"Human Rights Watch" Expresses Frustration over Peru's Refusal to Decriminalize Abortion

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

WASHINGTON, July 16, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Apparently frustrated by the failures of the international abortion lobby to decriminalize the killing of the unborn in Peru, the pro-abortion organization "Human Rights Watch" is lashing out at the country in a new report that critics say distorts and misrepresents the truth about Peruvian law and the nation's maternal health.

Despite an ongoing campaign funded by multi-million dollar organizations, the Peruvian government has resisted all attempts to establish abortion as a legal "right" by means of a "protocol for therapeutic abortion" - an official document demanded by pro-abortion groups that would give guidelines for killing unborn children in specified cases.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) begins its report by claiming, "In Peru interrupting a pregnancy is legal in order to save the life of the woman or to avoid serious and permanent damage to her health" and proceeds to complain that, "In practice there are significant barriers to accessing lawful abortions."

"Legal 'therapeutic' abortion - abortion needed to save the life of the woman or avoid damage to her health - is a vital public health service, and denial of this service jeopardizes a broad range of fundamental human rights of women and girls," writes the organization.

However, Peruvian pro-life activist Carlos Polo, head of the Population Research Institute's Latin American branch, notes that, contrary to the claims of Human Rights Watch, all abortion is illegal in Peru.

"There are no 'legal' abortions in Peru and abortion is a crime in all cases, since the Constitution of Peru protects the life of the unborn," Polo told LifeSiteNews.

Polo observed that the criminal code does not supply penalties in cases in which the life or health of the mother is in danger, but, he noted, this is not the same as making it legal.

"Decriminalization of this circumstance is not legalization, as HRW and the abortion lobby in Peru intend to say. Abortion is a prohibited behavior which has no support of our goverment, laws or public policies in Peru."

Regarding a "protocol" that would give guidelines to doctors, Polo noted that the government has consistently refused to create one, because it can't give guidelines for criminal activities. He also dismissed the notion that Human Rights Watch was concerned about maternal health.

"Almost 80% of the maternal death in Peru are related to delivery in poor conditions. According to the official numbers of the Health Ministry, the major health provider in Peru, only 6% of maternal deaths are related to abortions (no distinction between poor or good conditions)," he noted.

"These facts make clear that HRW is most interested in having legal abortions in Peru than preventing maternal mortality," said Polo. "HRW is not demanding new health facilities or equipment or access of women to deliver in a hospital. HRW has no interest in women, or their mental and physical health, who have decided to have a child and have no good conditions to do it."

Polo said he believes that the organization is "desperate" after years of fruitless efforts to decriminalize abortion in Peru, but that the report is a "mistake," because it is likely to offend Peruvians, who are "very sensitive with sovereignty issues".

Related LifeSiteNews Coverage:

US Pro-Abortion Organizations Begin Major Assault on Peru - Part 1
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jul/07071605.html

US Pro-Abortion Organizations Begin Major Assault on Peru - Part 2
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jul/07071701.html

Peru Rejects Pro-Abortion, Pro-Homosexual UNFPA Treaty on "Rights of Young People"
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/dec/07120309.html

Abortion Comes to Peru Via State Hospital's Broad Policy on "Therapeutic" Abortion
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/mar/07030907.html

United Nations Pushing Abortion Politics in Peru
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/feb/06022207.html

Peru Being Illegally Targeted for Abortion by USAID
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/feb/04021303.html

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