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New Poll Shows Majority of Spaniards Opposed to Proposed Abortion Law

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

MADRID, June 1, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new poll is showing a majority of Spaniards opposed to a proposed law that would allow abortion on demand for the first fourteen weeks of pregnancy, and would allow girls as young as 16 to obtain abortions without their parents' consent.

It is the lowering of the age of consent that has generated the opposition indicated in the poll. Sixty-seven percent of female respondents said that they were against lowering the age to 16, and 64 percent of all respondents held the same position. The poll was conducted by Metroscopia for the ultraliberal newspaper El Pais.

The Metroscopia poll follows another survey, announced in mid-May, that shows that a plurality of women oppose the new legislation generally, with 43% against and only 34% in favor.

The shift in public opinion follows a sustained campaign by Spain's Right to Life and other national pro-life organizations against the proposed legislation, including massive public demonstrations, petitions signed by scientists and academics, a letter-writing campaign, and other forms of protest.

The more conservative People's Party, which often ignores the abortion issue for political reasons, has made the new proposed law a major issue in the current campaign for representatives to the European Parliament.

Despite the growing public outrage against the law, representatives from Spain's ruling coalition of socialist parties say they are unwilling to compromise on permitting minors to have abortions without their parents' consent, although they may allow language that would require parents to be informed.

Current Spanish law does not criminally penalize abortions under certain conditions, including when there is a threat to the "health" of the mother. Using claims of danger to "psychological health," the abortion industry in Spain now performs well over 100,000 abortions annually.

Recent investigative reports by major media spurred by pro-life activists resulted in the arrest of Spain's "abortion mogul" Carlos Morin in late 2007, along with other abortion providers, for performing numerous late-term abortions using phony diagnoses under the "psychological health" rubric.

Spain's socialist parties, led by the Spanish Socialist Worker's Party, have responded by proposing the elimination of special conditions during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, essentially depenalizing abortion-on-demand during the first and early second trimesters.   The opposition Popular Party has proposed that the existing law simply be enforced, which would eliminate the vast majority of abortions performed under the current regime.

Previous LifeSiteNews coverage:

One Thousand Scientists, Physicians, and Intellectuals Sign Manifesto against the Further Legalization of Abortion in Spain
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09031907.html

Hundreds of Thousands March For Life In Spain
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09033105.html

Spanish Socialists Seek to Further Loosen already Liberal Abortion Law
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/sep/08090410.html

Full Abortions Shown On Spanish Television - First In History
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/dec/07121401.html

Seven More Doctors Arrested by Spanish Police for Illegal Abortions
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/dec/07121801.html

Late Term Abortionist Arrested by Spain's Police
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/nov/07112913.html

 

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