By Gudrun Schultz
SANTIAGO, Chile, September 15, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – An attempt by the Chilean Health Ministry to supply emergency contraception to minors without their parents’ knowledge has been temporarily blocked by a Chilean court.
The appellate court suspended the measure until a lawsuit filed against Health Minister Maria Soledad Barria by a coalition of lawyers and mayors has been resolved, Reuters reported yesterday.
The federal government order to provide the ‘morning after pill’ to young girls, on demand and without the knowledge or consent of their parents, was scheduled to be implemented this month. Several mayors refused to participate in the policy, demanding that parents must be notified before emergency contraception could be distributed to minors.
Abortion is illegal in Chile at any point in pregnancy, including cases of rape or incest. After an extensive court battle, the Chilean Supreme Court permitted the sale of emergency contraception in 2005, the first abortifacient to be legally established in the country.
The Catholic church has strongly opposed the introduction of emergency contraception, while the President Michelle Bachelet supports the measure. The Chilean population has been sharply divided over the volatile issue.
See related LifeSiteNews coverage:
Chilean Supreme Court Orders Sale of Abortifacient Morning-After Pill
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/dec/05120202.html
Chile’s Mayors Refuse Morning After Pill Push
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/sep/06090606.html