The suffering of a mentally challenged 14-year-old rape victim was described as ‘unacceptable’ by Poland’s health minister Adam Niedzielski on Monday in an appeal to protect women’s right to safe and legal abortion.
According to AFP, Niedzielski told media representatives, ‘We are shocked by this instance, and here our response is categorical.’
Poland is a Catholic nation in Europe, and its abortion regulations have long been divisive. Catholic doctors in Poland refused to perform an abortion on the young girl who became pregnant after being sexually abused by her uncle, in spite of her religious beliefs.
The doctors refused to terminate the pregnancy of the girl citing Poland’s ‘conscience clause.’
‘Conscience clause’ under article 39 of the Doctor and Dentist Professions Act states that any medical personnel may decline to perform an abortion on the grounds that it conflicts with their personal values or beliefs.
In May 2014, medical professionals signed a ‘Declaration of Faith’ where they emphasised that performing an abortion is against their faith. Poland’s Catholic bishops also backed the declaration.
However, in a positive development, an abortion was ultimately carried out in Warsaw after Poland’s women’s rights group Federa raised its voice in support of the abortion. ‘No words of disgust are sufficient for such behaviour… but for us, the most important thing was to help the girl,’ Federa said.
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